TY - JOUR
T1 - Rejection of workers’ compensation claims may increase depressive symptoms among firefighters with occupational injury
T2 - a nationwide study in South Korea
AU - Kim, Ja Young
AU - Kim, Ji Hwan
AU - Yoon, Seohyun
AU - Lee, Jong Tae
AU - Kim, Seung Sup
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Dr. Soo Jin Kim for providing feedback on the manuscript. This study was supported by the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Objectives: This study sought to examine whether the experience of occupational injuries was associated with depressive symptoms and whether the rejection of workers’ compensation claims was associated with depressive symptoms among Korean firefighters. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of 6793 Korean firefighters in 2015. Based on the experience of occupational injuries and workers’ compensation claims over the past year, respondents were classified into four groups: “Not injured”, “Injured, not applied”, “Injured, applied, but rejected” and “Injured, applied, and accepted.” Depressive symptoms over the preceding week were assessed using the 11-item version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: Compared to firefighters who did not get injured, injured firefighters had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR 2.01, 95% CI 1.83, 2.22) after controlling for confounders including job assignment. Also, when we restricted the analysis to injured firefighters, a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was observed among “Injured, applied, but rejected” (PR 1.70, 95% CI 1.11, 2.59) group, compared to “Injured, applied, and accepted” group. Conclusions: This finding suggests that rejection of workers’ compensation claims, as well as the experience of occupational injuries, may increase the risk of depressive symptoms among Korean firefighters.
AB - Objectives: This study sought to examine whether the experience of occupational injuries was associated with depressive symptoms and whether the rejection of workers’ compensation claims was associated with depressive symptoms among Korean firefighters. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of 6793 Korean firefighters in 2015. Based on the experience of occupational injuries and workers’ compensation claims over the past year, respondents were classified into four groups: “Not injured”, “Injured, not applied”, “Injured, applied, but rejected” and “Injured, applied, and accepted.” Depressive symptoms over the preceding week were assessed using the 11-item version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: Compared to firefighters who did not get injured, injured firefighters had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR 2.01, 95% CI 1.83, 2.22) after controlling for confounders including job assignment. Also, when we restricted the analysis to injured firefighters, a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was observed among “Injured, applied, but rejected” (PR 1.70, 95% CI 1.11, 2.59) group, compared to “Injured, applied, and accepted” group. Conclusions: This finding suggests that rejection of workers’ compensation claims, as well as the experience of occupational injuries, may increase the risk of depressive symptoms among Korean firefighters.
KW - Medical benefit application
KW - Mental health
KW - South Korea
KW - Workplace injury
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103572133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00420-021-01688-w
DO - 10.1007/s00420-021-01688-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 33813675
AN - SCOPUS:85103572133
SN - 0340-0131
VL - 94
SP - 1405
EP - 1413
JO - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 6
ER -
