Research Updates

This page lists all research updates available on Return to Work Matters.

Research is chosen for review based on quality of the evidence and its practical value in return to work.

Requests to undertake reviews of research on particular subjects are welcome.

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

How an occupational safety approach can prevent vicarious trauma

contributorLauren Finestone

A Churchill Fellowship report calls for a fundamental shift in how organisations view and manage...

Healthy workplaces create healthy bottom lines

contributorLauren Finestone

When workers feel their employer truly cares about protecting their mental health everyone is...

There’s more to RTW than just getting back to work

contributorLauren Finestone

Successful RTW isn't just about what happens back at work. It’s a complex dance that involves...

How supervisors can prevent staff burnout

contributorLauren Finestone

Supervisors’ personal experiences of burnout, their attitudes towards mental health and the...

Culture not trauma — a new approach to identifying and preventing mental harm in first responders: Part 2

contributorLauren Finestone

A study highlights the importance of addressing ‘moral injury’, organisational practices and...

‘This is so unfair’. Preventing perceptions of injustice after a work injury.

contributorLauren Finestone

A sense of injustice is common among injured workers and can prolong their suffering. What...

Culture not trauma — a new approach to identifying and preventing mental harm in first responders (Part 1)

contributorLauren Finestone

A study suggests it’s time for a rethink on what causes distress in first responders and how to...

‘I rest my case’ — the evidence is in on psychosocial hazards for law teachers

contributorLauren Finestone

Universities need to support student well-being, but this requires them to support the...

‘You look much prettier when you smile’ — emerging psychosocial risks in the hospitality industry

contributorLauren Finestone

A study identifies some new psychosocial risks in hospitality jobs and proposes a way to assess...

What gets in the way of physios using the biopsychosocial model for persistent pain?

contributorLauren Finestone

What things make it harder or easier for physiotherapists to use a biopsychosocial approach when...

Let’s (not just) get physical — psychosocial hazards play a role in musculoskeletal disorders too

contributorLauren Finestone

Three recent studies show how important it is for workplaces to focus on identifying and...

Do you see what I see? — there’s safety in unity

contributorLauren Finestone

A study suggests that when employers and workers agree on what workplace risks are and how to...

A Wysa approach to recovery from work-related injury

contributorLauren Finestone

A study of an AI drive app shows that digital psychosocial interventions can improve recovery...

Do inspections by regulators prevent psychosocial risks at work?

contributorLauren Finestone

A study found that visits by inspectors can improve how companies manage psychosocial risks

Be a caring climate engineer — a roadmap for cultivating healthier and more successful workplaces

contributorLauren Finestone

Evidence shows that a caring environment can have a powerful impact on workers’ mental health...

Can work health and safety management systems address psychosocial risks?

contributorLauren Finestone

Using anonymous data in workplace risk assessments, taking the results seriously and having a...

Workplace bullying and sick leave — a 2-way street

contributorLauren Finestone

Bullying increases the risk of workers getting sick and taking time off from work, both in the...

How do regulators respond to complaints about psychosocial and physical hazards? And how should they? — Part 1

contributorLauren Finestone

A recent study reveals that when it comes to workplace hazards, work, health and safety...

Mind and mood — how psychosocial factors shape recovery from surgery

contributorLauren Finestone

Research shows that our emotional and mental state can influence how well we heal and bounce...

Job demands as psychosocial hazards — reducing the risks through the power of nature and virtual reality

contributorLauren Finestone

A study suggests that taking a break, getting some exercise and spending time in nature — either...

The 'wicked' problem of addressing psychosocial hazards — lessons from abroad

contributorLauren Finestone

What makes it so hard to effectively assess and implement measures to address psychosocial...

RTW expectations built on trust, workplace support and actions of treatment provider

contributorRTWMatters team

RTW expectations predict recovery from musculoskeletal injury. Workplace supports, trust and the...

Quality of work predicts mental health

contributorRTWMatters team

There is a strong link between work quality and mental health, and some workers are slugged by...

The high cost of losing value at work

contributorRTWMatters team

Supervisors need to recognise that workers who feel socially devalued at work suffer health and...

Call centre workers tired of faking it

contributorGabrielle Lis

Feeling one way and having to act another is a hallmark of call centre work. The resulting...

Motivational interviewing and RTW

contributorGabrielle Lis

Motivational interviewing is very beneficial, according to injured workers who need practical...

Dying for more job control

contributorGabrielle Lis

Large Australian study links low job control to higher mortality risk.

Targeted learning eases job strain in the ICU

contributorGabrielle Lis

A 5-day intervention for ICU nurses in France establishes that individual workers can learn to...

Angry nurses have more MSDs - and there's a link to social demands / support

contributorGabrielle Lis

Nurses who think they offer their colleagues more support than they get in return are more...

Putting the "social" back in biopsychosocial

contributorRTWMatters team

What does the international evidence say about the impact of compensation systems, health care...

Introducing ROSES

contributorGabrielle Lis

In the search to find a screening tool to assist workers with MSDs and common mental health...

Fair winners, fair losers in dispute resolution

contributorA. Richey

What makes dispute resolution outcomes seem fair to workers?

How do social functioning, social relationships and compensation influence RTW?

contributorDr Mary Wyatt

Understanding the factors that influence return to work assists in effective rehabilitation.

Research short: Armed against arm pain

contributorDr Mary Wyatt

Reducing repetitive work is not the only option to consider when attempting to accommodate arm...

Job control, job demand and workplace health

contributorTom Wells-Quinn

Changes in psychosocial aspects of work affect employee health and wellbeing

What contributes to recurrent back bother?

contributorHannah Bourne

A look at the workplace factors associated with repeat visits to back pain clinics

Taking control of arthritis

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

Psychosocial approaches to managing arthritis help sufferers make the most of medical care.

Fear, expectation and back pain - the evidence

contributorFriyana Bhabha

Knowing what psychosocial factors affect recovery from low back pain can help target employee...

Back pain and pessimism: A vicious cycle-The evidence

contributorTom Wells-Quinn

Pessimistic beliefs about back pain can prolong suffering and prevent proper treatment

Despair and low back pain: Connecting as a starting point-The evidence

contributorFrancesca McSteen

People with chronic low back pain can lose their sense of control over life, a major...