Researchers explored the association between return to work and mental health outcomes in Black men living and recovering from serious traumatic injuries in Philadelphia. The study, funded in part by NINR, found that men who did not return to work after a serious traumatic injury had almost three times the odds of poor mental health when compared to men who did return to work. The study also found that younger age, lack of insurance or public insurance, and higher lifetime experience of racism were independently associated with both return to work and screening positive for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Programs to optimize recovery after injury in Black men should include consideration of key structural factors such as employment, financial stability, and the impact of racism-related exposures.
Palumbo AJ, Richmond TS, Webster J, Koilor C, Jacoby SF. The relationship between work and mental health outcomes in Black men after serious injury. Injury. 2021 Apr;52(4):750-756. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.02.021. Epub 2021 Feb 14. PMID: 33627251