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Title: Depression resulting from physical injury at work?

Question:

My father has undergone carpal tunnel surgery on both of his hands as the result of his working many years on an assembly line. He now has permanent work restrictions against repetitive gripping, reaching, or pinching; and he has had to take a lower paying job. He has constant pain in his hands; but his doctors have told him they can do nothing more for him. He cannot do many of the things at home he used to enjoy. He says he is not sleeping well. He seems to be losing weight. Sometimes when he talks about his hands, I see tears in his eyes. I think he needs to see a doctor about how he is feeling but he says he does not have insurance. What options does he have?

Answer:

It is not at all uncommon for workers who have sustained an injury which permanently limits their lives in some way to have symptoms of clinical depression such as loss of appetite, sleeplessness, feelings of being helpless or worthless. In workers' compensation, we refer to such injuries as physical/mental injuries because an injury to the body has brought about an accompanying injury to the mind. If your father is depressed and a psychiatrist finds that his depression did grow out of his work-related hand injuries, then the treatment of his depression should be paid for under workers' compensation. Your father should return to the company- designated doctor who treated his hands and report the symptoms he is having. He should also ask to be referred to a specialist in mental health.

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