Tailoring psychosocial treatment for patients with occupational disability

The cost of occupational musculoskeletal pain is staggering in terms of its impact on patients, family members, the economy and society. The annual cost of musculoskeletal disorders, when diagnosis, treatment, lost work days and compensation claims are calculated, amounts to tens of billions of dollars each year (Gatchel & Mayer, 2000). According to the US Department of Labor, 5.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 2001. This results in a rate of 5.7 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002). Of the 5.2 million total injuries and illnesses, 2.6 million (or 2.8 per 100 workers) were lost workday cases; that is, they required recuperation away from work or restricted duties at work, or both (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002). While the lost workday cases have continued to decrease in number each of the last several years, along with the total number of injury and illness cases, the cost of such cases requires that every effort be made to deal effectively with each.