Handbook of Complex Occupational Disability Claims

The Handbook of Complex Occupational Disability Claims: Early Risk Identification, Intervention and Prevention

Edited by Izabela Z. Schultz, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Robet J. Gatchel, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA

Chronic back and neck pain. Whiplash. Fibromyalgia. Carpal tunnel syndrome. Intractable headaches. Depression. Anxiety and posttraumatic stress. Concussion. More than ever, the term workplace disabilities is synonymous with greater clinical and case management complexity and escalating personal, social, occupational and economic cost. Complex illnesses and injuries that defy a traditional medical management model continue to baffle medical, mental health, rehabilitation, compensation, corporate, and legal professionals despite new advances in diagnosis, prevention, and rehabilitation. The Handbook of Complex Occupational Disability Claims: Early Risk Identification, Intervention and Prevention cuts through the confusion by integrating current theories and findings into a state-of-the-art tool for critical thinking, decision making, and effective practice.


This clear-sighted, interdisciplinary and integrative volume goes beyond cataloguing symptoms or sorting legitimate from fraudulent cases—its emphasis is on early detection of risk and management to prevent injury from developing into long-term disability. Editors Schultz and Gatchel and their 49 expert contributors offer lucid evaluations of the scientific and clinical literature to repair the mind/body split that has traditionally defined this field:



Conceptual and methodological issues in the prediction of disability.
Biopsychosocial perspectives on the most prevalent disabling conditions, including: chronic pain syndromes, repetitive strain injuries, depression, anxiety, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Application of clinical findings to the rehabilitation, disability management, occupational and compensation arenas, and return-to-work practices.
In-depth discussion of the relationship between impairment and work disability.
Specific evidence-based early intervention approaches for workers and patients at risk.

A book that synthesizes so many diverse viewpoints has the potential to influence both policy and practice across disciplines and cut through politicization of these still poorly understood conditions with evidence. The Handbook is important reading for all clinicians, professionals, and members of rehabilitation and disability management teams, across healthcare, occupational and compensation settings.