Work Impairment and Disability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review and Recommendations for Psychological Injury Research and Practice

Work impairment and disability are common consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as reflected by significant rates of sickness absence, failure to return to work, and reduced work performance. Within the psychological injury field, the issue of work impairment and disability in PTSD often arises in workers’ compensation and disability insurance claims and in personal injury litigation. In this context, clinical and forensic practitioners are faced with challenges in rendering expert opinions on diagnosis, causality, prognosis, and recommendations for treatment and rehabilitation. To promote understanding of this important, yet understudied area, there are three aims of this paper: first, to review the current literature on work impairment and disability associated with PTSD; second, to draw on this literature to present a biopsychosocial framework of work impairment and disability in PTSD; and third, to offer suggestions for improving the assessment and management of PTSD-related work impairment and disability.