06 Jun, 2023/ by National Accident Helpline /News
How does trauma affect your mental health?
Any kind of trauma impacts our minds, including a work accident. The impact varies for each individual circumstance and can result in a variety of physiological effects.
In some cases, your brain will be working overtime to prevent the event from repeating and automatically uses memory repetition, fear, and anxiety to protect you from experiencing the same trauma again. In other cases, a more physiological medical issue may occur when tiny areas of brain cells have been bruised or torn resulting in confusion, headaches, and mood swings.
It's important to recognise any differences in your behaviours and abilities to identify a mental health problem and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
What is a psychological injury?
A psychological injury is a mental psychiatric or physiological condition that's caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
There are many types of psychological injury, each with individual symptoms and effects, but the 3 main types are:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This condition was first noticed in war veterans and soldiers using the term ‘shell shock' but actually affects 1 in 10 people in the UK at some point in their lives. Symptoms include hyper-vigilance, flashbacks, vivid nightmares, emotional outbursts, and uncontrollable fear or anxiety.
- Concussion: After impact, the brain is temporarily injured, bruised, or torn resulting in a loss of mental functions. Symptoms of concussion include headaches, dizziness and drowsiness, sensory impairments, memory problems, mood swings, and nausea.
- Chronic Pain: This condition is actually psychological although the individual experiences the feeling of pain constantly. Chronic pain can begin weeks, months, or even years after the injury and can last indefinitely.
If you have suffered from any of these since your workplace accident, you could be entitled to claim compensation for the psychological trauma as well as the physical injury.
Which things affect our mental health badly?
The key factors that affect mental health are environment, experiences, and family or upbringing. If there is any element of harm, trauma, or lack of care among any of these factors, your mental health can suffer drastically.
Common issues causing mental health problems include the following:
- Severe or long-term stress
- Bereavement
- Significant trauma - a serious incident in which you feared for your life
- Physical causes - a head injury or a neurological condition such as epilepsy or MS can cause mental health changes
- Social isolation
Lifestyle choices also have an impact on your mental welfare, with negative factors such as work, diet, drugs, and lack of sleep being main culprits causing depression and anxiety among many.
What can you do to help yourself?
Some external factors are out of your control but important lifestyle changes will make a major difference in changing your mental wellbeing for the better.
There are many self-help techniques you could look to implement in your life and improve your mental health. A few key ways to support your well-being include regular exercise, eating balanced meals, connecting with family and friends, practising mindfulness, and sleeping 8 hours a day.
How should your employer help?
Employers want to get the most out of their employees and understand that your health is vital to your success. You are a valued member of the team and they should be working to help you in this time of need by supporting your mental health.
Employers should:
- Check in with you on a regular basis to maintain connection and offer support
- Provide access to mental health first aiders or employee welfare initiatives
- Prevent any discrimination in the workplace and among colleagues
- Assess your ability to return to work
- Implement reasonable adjustments for your return if required
- Make sure the work environment is safe
- Undertake regular risk assessments
Try to be open with your employer about your situation and feelings (as much as is comfortable and appropriate) so you can both work together to move forward, happier and healthier.
I'm worried about returning to work after an injury.
After an accident at work, your injury may have affected your confidence and physical abilities; you may be a little out of practice workwise. This can feel tremendously daunting and you're not alone in worrying about your return to work after an accident.
How to get back to work safely and confidently:
You don't necessarily have to be symptom-free to return to work and most healthcare professionals would encourage you to do so if appropriate. The benefits of returning to work, both mental and physical, are plentiful. Resuming your work will build strength and stamina as well as promote socialisation among colleagues and relieve financial strain. It's a win, win if you're able to do so. Always check with your healthcare provider before returning to work.
If you've been off of work you'll need a fit note from your doctor before returning to ensure that they are happy your condition is safe to work in. They may suggest alterations for your job that you can then discuss with your employer before you return. Adjustments may include:
- A phased return to work - short hours or part-time work to begin with whilst gradually building back up to full-time. This is a great way to ease yourself back in, build confidence gradually, and get used to the routine again without stressing your body too much too soon.
- Alternative hours temporarily - Maybe you require a shift change to work around appointments or sleep patterns.
- Employer discretion - Avoid certain aspects of your role whilst you continue recovery e.g. no heavy lifting for a few months.
Make sure to discuss this with your healthcare provider and employer to ensure you are returning to work safely with minimal risks.
Tips to overcome your fears of reinjury at work:
Even after the ‘all clear' from your doctor, and work adjustments from your employer, anxiety and fear may still be overwhelming you. Don't worry, it's to be expected and there are ways you can manage these feelings.
One of the most empowering processes you can practise is a problem-solving mentality. It's a step-by-step approach to identifying and resolving trigger points and unnecessary thoughts, feelings, and anxiety. This technique is brilliant for mental health and can also be applied to day-to-day problems or even business-related challenges.
The problem-solving process for return to work:
- Identify the problem - What issues are/were there in the workplace that you're concerned about?
- Understand why it's a problem - Did this cause your injury? Are there safety elements that are lacking?
- List potential solutions - New safety checks, updated equipment, further training, temporary alternatives etc.
- Compare the pros and cons of each solution - Pro, new equipment will be less likely to fault and will be easier to handle safely. Con, I'd need further training before using it to avoid an injury.
- Choose the most effective solution.
- Use the solution - Push yourself to pursue the most effective solution and be mindful of the rational thought process behind it to reinforce your decision.
- Evaluate the outcome - Was it safe? Did anyone get hurt? Do you feel more confident about doing it again?
- Keep at it - The more you do something the easier it will be. Keep working on the best solution that makes you feel comfortable doing your work, and you will gradually learn that it's safe.
Practising this process strengthens your cognitive rationale which minimises emotional overload and encourages behavioural changes. It will make you feel more level and in control, and allow flexible decision-making instead of letting overwhelmed impulses take over.
Other strategies and mental health techniques, like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, will also help and a combination of any will establish a firm foundation for change.
How long can you have a phased return to work?
Your phased return to work duration will depend on your circumstances. You will need to agree and prepare your plan with your employer, but your fit note should contain an indication of the recommended phased return duration from your healthcare professional.
You and your employer should have regular check-ins to review how your return to work is going and whether extensions or alterations need to be made to your phased duration. They should support you throughout the process.
What is a health and safety culture?
A health and safety culture encompasses the shared values, attitudes, and ethos of the company and its employees, focussing on how they approach and implement health and safety, not just simply knowing the theory.
A lack of care, education, and reinforcement encourages a poor health and safety culture which can lead to higher accident rates and poor safety management systems.
Employers should promote and provide ongoing training, lead by example, and encourage conversations around health and safety to cultivate a good health and safety culture.
Can I claim compensation for psychological damage?
Yes, you can. And we can help you. At National Accident Helpline, we treat psychological injuries seriously. Damages can be claimed within an accident at work claim and we recommend getting in touch to find out if you're eligible to claim.
Call us today on , or get in touch online. We will always be supportive and have your best interests at heart.
Last updated 06.06.23