The main aim of this study is to investigate the health, economic and social consequences of workplace injury for workers and their families, with particular emphasis on mental health and social service utilization. We propose using a linked database of administrative records developed in British Columbia (BC), which includes Workers' Compensation Board (WCB), public insured health services, income assistance and vital statistics records, to investigate the use of health and social services for five years before and after an injury for both workers and their families. These patterns will be compared to selected control groups. The major focus of the study will involve examining: 1) changes and patterns over time in health and social service utilization, and suicide rates for injured workers and their controls, 2) changes and patterns over time in health and social service utilization, and suicide rates for families of injured workers and families of controls, 3) risk factors associated with increased utilization of specific health and social services for injured workers, 4) risk factors associated with increased utilization of specific health and social services for families of injured workers. Outcomes to be examined include changes in, and specific types of uses of a) physician services, b) hospital services c) income assistance d) prescription drugs e) continuing care services and f) mental health care episodes will be explored for workers, their families, and controls. Mortality data, specifically suicide as cause of death, for 1994 to 2000 will also be examined for all groups. A number of potential confounders, such as age, sex and income will be examined for all groups. Worker characteristics such as, age, sex, income, industry or job type, time on job before injury, type of injury (acute or chronic), and WCB costs, length of claim, and occurrence of other claims will also be examined. The substantial economic and social consequences of workplace injury underscore the need to document such consequences and how injuries affect the overall quality of life of workers and their families. By identifying characteristics of workers and their families who are most at risk (increased mental health and social assistance utilization) of being severely affected by a workplace injury, specific interventions can be targeted to provide services to help vulnerable families to better cope with workplace injuries and illnesses.
