Guidelines for treating patients with a work-related mental health condition

  14 December 2020  Comcare   |   Third party content – view disclaimer

Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of work-related mental health conditions in general practice

Work-related mental health conditions are the second most common cause of workers’ compensation; however, these conditions are typically challenging to diagnose and treat. In Australia, most injured workers seek care from their GP. This clinical guideline provides GPs with the best available evidence to guide their diagnosis and management of patients with work-related mental health conditions.

The Guideline was approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in late 2018. It is endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex PTSD

Five to ten percent of people will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives. In Australia, most injured workers seek care from their GP. The Guidelines aim to support high quality treatment of people with PTSD by providing a framework of best practice around which to structure treatment.

Specific populations and trauma types in the Guidelines include:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and PTSD
  • Emergency services personnel and PTSD
  • Military and ex-military personnel and PTSD
  • Motor vehicle accident and other traumatic injury survivors
  • Natural disasters and trauma reactions
  • PTSD in older people
  • Refugees, asylum seekers and PTSD
  • Sexual assault and PTSD
  • Terrorism and trauma reactions
  • Victims of crime and PTSD

Approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Guidelines were developed by Phoenix Australia (formerly Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health) and a team of Australia’s leading trauma experts, in collaboration with psychiatrists, psychologists, general practitioners and other health professionals.

By Comcare.

Disclaimer: This article was provided by Comcare. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.