Depression After Work Accidents Or Road Accidents - Walla! health

2021-09-09T11:03:29.084Z

Work accidents are very common in Israel and can end in physical injuries with mental consequences and even lead to loss of ability to work. Dr. Anthony Naftali, a specialist psychiatrist, expands on the process of recognizing loss of ability to work due to depression - even when there is no physical damage to the background

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Depression after work accidents or road accidents

Work accidents are very common in Israel and can end in physical injuries with mental consequences and even lead to loss of ability to work.

Dr. Anthony Naftali, a specialist psychiatrist, expands on the process of recognizing loss of ability to work due to depression - even when there is no physical damage to the background

Profit cases for loss of ability to work with mental consequences

Physical injuries are accompanied by mental traumas but not all of them have long-term consequences, in some cases even after the physical injury has been treated the mental trauma is the essential cause of incapacity for work.

Since the burden of proof applies to the injured party, he must prove a circumstantial connection between the case and his inability to work.

There are cases where loss of ability to work results from abuse or accusations.

For example, a man who worked in a store for two decades and suddenly receives a hearing letter before dismissal due to suspicions that he stole items from the store.

Or a dedicated employee who has reached a managerial position and suddenly experiences ongoing abuse after management has changed.

In these cases, too, there is room for writing an opinion and diagnosing post-trauma, which is the factor that led to the loss of work capacity.

More articles on the subject by Dr. Anthony Naftali:

Mental Disability for Holocaust Survivors: Guide >>

Ringworm: Compensation for Physical and Mental Injury >>

What to do in case of loss of ability to work?

(Photo: ShutterStock)

The process of applying for incapacity for work due to depression

Any person injured in a work accident and as a result unable to work for medical reasons is required to file a claim for recognition of incapacity for work, where in some cases the family doctor will refer him to a professional psychiatrist who will assess his mental condition.

The HMO psychiatrist (usually) will assess his mental condition and treat it with stress-relief pills.

At the same time, there are certain cases in which any return "to the scene of the incident" adversely affects the victim.

Sometimes this may be due to a lack of trust in the system that did not maintain or monitor the integrity of the machine and sometimes these can be the memories that arise around the incident, the blood splattered or the feeling of helplessness that overwhelms him and eventually even if his physical injury was treated. .

In these cases it is very possible that he suffers from post-trauma and therefore he is required for an additional psychiatric evaluation to examine the receipt of a disability benefit due to loss of ability to work.

The process of psychiatric assessment of loss of ability to work even after about a year from the injury

I often meet people who have made every effort to recover but returning to the scene takes them back to dark days and impairs their day-to-day functioning and in particular their ability to work routinely.

In this situation, they have the option of receiving a psychiatric evaluation for incapacity for work and they can do so independently by contacting a psychiatrist whose area of expertise, through the doctor treating them in the community or through the tort lawyer seeking the opinion on the case.

In order to assess the patient's mental health condition, I would like to receive the medical records related to the injury from any medical person who treated the victim - an orthopedist, emergency room, family doctor, treating psychiatrist, psychologist, etc. in order to assess whether the mental condition impairs day-to-day functioning. In sleep, in the level of appetite, in interpersonal relationships, in the level of concentration, in initiative and so on.

Next - I have a conversation whose ultimate goal is to assess whether the patient suffers from post traumatic dramatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to demand the percentage of reward for the diagnosis. The call is usually made through zoom software and with the patient's consent to the presence of the medical secretary whose purpose is to record the call to the record. This process is also done when the referral comes from the patient's attorney. I then write the opinion based on the conversation and the protocol and in some cases I continue to treat the victim - when there is a willingness to do so.

It should be noted that this process is correct and acceptable even when the post-trauma is experienced near the time of the accident and even before a tort claim is filed by a lawyer representing the victim. Here too the goal is to treat the symptoms of depression and PTSD and even treat psychotic symptoms in an ongoing therapeutic setting after which I write the opinion (combined with the opinion of the treating physician in the community) and send it to the victim's lawyer.

To sum up, a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Dramatic Stress Disorder is given only when there is a causal connection between the accident or incident and the diagnosis, provided that there is an impairment in the ability to work.

The diagnosis is based on an assessment of the situation in accordance with the medical data and the conversation or treatment process conducted with the patient and includes a recommendation on the percentage of disability.

Dr. Anthony Naftali is a specialist psychiatrist with decades of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric, psychogeriatric, psychotherapist and drug treatment. As part of his work, he writes medical opinions for civilian and military bodies. For more details and contact: anthony.naftali@gmail.com / 054-225 -2542 and visit the home site.