Articles

This page lists all practical and feature articles available on RTWMatters. From top ten tips, how to guides and case studies, through to webinar recordings and video interviews with industry experts.

Click the ‘Topics’ button below to drill down into all articles and research updates on your topic of interest.

Click the ‘Quick Guides’ button for practical bit sized guides that give you a sound basic knowledge base.

The power of words in health (Part 2) — changing the conversation about osteoarthritis

contributorLauren Finestone

Clinicians and people with knee osteoarthritis can shift the conversation about osteoarthritis...

The power of words in health — changing the conversation about osteoarthritis (Part 1)

contributorLauren Finestone

How we talk about health profoundly impacts how we think and act when managing our well-being.

Navigating the counterintuitive road to recovery after musculoskeletal injury

contributorLauren Finestone

An article written for orthopaedic surgeons about what they can do to help patients’ recovery...

The power of choosing our mindset

contributorLauren Finestone

Tips to help develop a mindset that builds resilience and helps us deal with challenging...

What do we know about secondary psychological conditions after a physical work injury?

contributorLauren Finestone

How can we better to identify and support workers who are risk of developing secondary...

Webinar recording: Wellbeing and Mental Health – Building inner resilience and supporting others in 2022 - Beyond Blue

contributorMel Novak

Small business owners have been doing it tough for a long time and statistics are demonstrating...

Look and see - highlighting the impact of psychological hazards on police

contributorDr Nick Ford & John Schumann

‘Real stories from real cops’—how to recognise and reduce the impact of psychological hazards on...

How workers feel about getting hurt impacts how and when they get better

contributorRTWMatters team

Psychological responses to work injury impact recovery. Australian researchers have interviewed...

Unreliable, dangerous, incompetent?

contributorRTWMatters team

Awareness of workplace injury stigma is low amongst Australian employers but the costs may be...

Coping with quarantine (and social distancing)

contributorGabrielle Lis

Quarantine is hard on people’s mental health but we can reduce the risks for those forced into...

An introduction to self-compassion

contributorGabrielle Lis

A look at the emerging evidence on a meditation-based approach that promises relief from...

Too ashamed to return to work

contributorGabrielle Lis

Shame feeds aggression and avoidance: barriers to RTW. How can workplaces and treating...

Webinar recording: From theory to practice - Creating psychologically healthy workplaces

contributorDr Natasha Lazareski (Kiso)

Practical steps to build and maintain a psychologically healthy workplace and minimise...

Moral injury and RTW

contributorGabrielle Lis

Notions of wrongdoing, blame and guilt can seem dangerous in the context of RTW. Are we missing...

Can you ‘teach’ workers to be more emotionally resilient?

contributorYvonne Brunetto

You may know someone like this at work: optimistic and resilient, they appear to bounce through...

Psychological Cases: prevention is better than the cure

contributorA. Richey

The workplace is a social environment. For many, this is one of the most enjoyable aspects of...

Mental Health and Cancer

contributorA. Richey

The diagnosis of any serious disease can have an impact on mental health; for the person...

Banishing Burnout: Strategies for a Constructive Engagement with Work

contributorA. Richey

Dr Michael Leiter, a professor at the Centre for Organisational Research and Development at...

Mental Health: developing an action plan for your workplace - part 1

contributorA. Richey

An estimated one in five employees will be impacted by a mental health condition at any one time...

Role Summary: Psychologist

contributorA. Richey

Psychology is the study of the mind and associated behaviours. A psychologist's focus may be on...

Webinar Recording: Adjusting to change

contributorKaren Stevens

Adjusting to change is difficult for all of us, but it can be particularly difficult after a...

Laying down the law

contributorStefanie Garber

Several legal options exist for victims of bullying, each with different outcomes. How effective...

Fighting back: dealing with workplace bullies

contributorStefanie Garber

Taking a long-term preventative approach to bullying is cheaper and more effective than reacting...

An introduction to workplace bullying

contributorStefanie Garber

What is workplace bullying? How common is bullying? What forms does bullying take? How does...

Doctor, patient, insurer: The impossible triangle

contributorJoe Dunn

An interview with psychiatrist Dr Joe Dunn on improving relationships with doctors, and some of...

Mental health buy-in

contributorTom Barton

Financial commitment is just the beginning

Stress and emotional resilience

contributorGabrielle Lis and Tom Barton

Ever wondered what RTW and sabre-toothed tigers have in common? Or why some people bounce back...

Toxic Doctors

contributorDr Mary Wyatt

What do you do with a toxic doctor?

What you can't see...

contributorLara Forth

...CAN hurt you. Having an internal injury that nobody sees can make rehabilitation far more...

Family, colleagues great support after bad car crash

contributorHeather Millar, writer, WorkCover

After being badly injured in a car crash, family and colleagues rallied around to help Peter...

Bullying and harassment

contributorGreg Barton, Director, Insight Services Group

Workplace bullies are often workplace big fish. Combating the problem requires a top down approach.

How is exposure to trauma affecting you and your employees?

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

There is a way of minimising the adverse effects trauma workers are exposed to - start by...

Superdoc - Fighting fear and back pain

contributorSuperDoc

Fear and back pain make a destructive combination - our local superhero talks about why.

The costs of cancer

contributorTom Barton

Cancer is the most widespread chronic disease in Australia. We look at 10 tips for supporting...

Signs of suicide

contributorTom Barton

How to look out for and deal with signs of suicide in your workplace.

Employees not coping with pain

contributorTom Barton

Understanding how distress interferes with recovery is the key to addressing difficult RTW cases.

Fact sheet: PSYCHO WHAAT? PSYCHOSOCIAL!

contributorGabrielle Lis

The most common barriers to RTW are "psychosocial". Getting to know them makes it possible to...