Work-related mental health conditions are the second most common cause of workers’ compensation. However, these conditions are typically challenging to diagnose and treat. 5-10 percent of people will suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives.
Most injured workers will seek care from their GP and there are two resources that can help GPs diagnose, manage and treat a patient who is suffering from a work-related mental health condition:
Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of work-related mental health conditions in general practice – Provides GPs with the best available evidence to guide their diagnosis and management of patients with work-related mental health conditions.
The guideline was approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in late 2018. It is endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex PTSD – The Guidelines aim to support high quality treatment of people with PTSD by providing a framework of best practice around which to structure treatment. Approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Guidelines were developed by Phoenix Australia (formerly Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health) and a team of Australia’s leading trauma experts, in collaboration with psychiatrists, psychologists, general practitioners and other health professionals.