PTSD and Worker's Comp

Research has consistently shown that trauma causes physical changes to the human brain. (See the PTSD News archive for several examples.) But if you are traumatized by your job, can you claim worker's comp?

In Wyoming, the answer is no. That state's Supreme Court ruled in December that the biological changes to the brain are not the same as physical injuries and are therefore not eligible for worker's comp.

The case came up when a volunteer firefighter experienced PTSD after seeing two of his coworkers burned and killed during a fire. The court called these "mental injuries" and said the law did not offer compensation for these types of wounds.

Read more: Risk & Insurance Online - Biological roots of PTSD don't trigger comp for physical injuries

What do you think? Should firefighters, police personnel, rescue workers and others be eligible for worker's comp due to PTSD? How about victims of workplace bullying or sexual harassment? Should PTSD be considered a physical injury? Let us know your thoughts.

PTSD in Firefighters, First Responders & Other Rescuers

Two recent news stories highlight the oft-forgotten sufferers of PTSD: First responders, firefighters and other rescue workers.

First up, an NPR article about how the constant threat of working as a first responder or other rescue worker can build up until PTSD symptoms develop.

"Little by little, it just started to build, and then one day, the slideshow that was all these events started running in my head and I couldn't control it," Michael Ferrara told NPR. It all came to a head for him when a friend of his was killed while on duty.

According to NPR (itself covering a story from Outside magazine), PTSD often goes undiagnosed in these occupations because the men who fill these jobs do not like to admit when they are in emotional pain.

But better understanding of PTSD allows both managers and rescue workers to not only deal with their symptoms better, but to recognize them when they first show up.

An Ontario-based newspaper called Cottage Country Now also discusses how volunteer firefighters can be ill-equipped to deal with the trauma of their jobs. Part of this comes from constantly working with survivors -- or seeing those who did not survive. "You're seeing people on the worse day of their life; their house burnt down, they had a heart attack, something bad happened," researcher Brad Campbell told the paper. Campbell's study is one of the first major studies of PTSD in firefighters.