Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1989

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Counseling

Major Professor

J. H. Miller

Committee Members

Jack L. Cassell, John Ray

Abstract

It was the purpose of this thesis to study specific factors to determine how each affected the return to work of industrially back-injured males who participated in a work hardening program. This rehabilitation program involved the injured worker in strengthening, physical conditioning, education, and job simulation activities throughout the work week, lasting four hours daily. Treatment periods ranged from two to twenty weeks. The factors addressed by this study included employment status following completion of work hardening services, residual physical capacities for job performance, length of time from date of injury to the initiation of work hardening services, the injured worker's perception of employer attitude toward the injured worker, level of education, vocational training, and retainment of an attorney.

The subjects of this study consisted of 40 industrially back-injured males from an east Tennessee orthopedic rehabilitation center. All 40 injured males were mailed a questionnaire and two color-coded forms which addressed the specific research questions in this study. An 89% return rate was obtained (31 out of 35 locatable subjects).

The data gathered from the questionnaire and color-coded forms was tabulated using content analysis for the open-ended questions. A frequency comparison, using percentages, was used for the other questionnaire and color-coded form items.

The results of the study were as follows:

1) Seventeen (55%) returned to work whereas 14 (45%) were unemployed.

2) Reasons given by the unemployed group for not having returned to work were related to limited physical capacities (still receiving medical treatment, laid off due to work restrictions, too much pain, no opening with the former employer due to work restrictions, physician would not provide a release to return to the former job, no light duty with the former company, receiving vocational rehabilitation services, and filing for disability benefits).

3) Thirteen of the 17 employed subjects (76%) returned to the same company where they were working at the time of injury. Eleven of the 17 (65%) were performing the same job as before injury. The other six men (35%) were performing different jobs with less strenuous physical demands.

4) There was a substantial difference between the employed and unemployed groups in length of time from date of injury to work hardening services. The employed group averaged 14 weeks, and the unemployed group averaged 31 weeks.

5) Reasons listed by the unemployed subjects as to why the former employer would not take them back to work were related to physical limitations resulting from injury.

6) Ratings on relationship with employer before and after injury revealed that the relationships were negatively affected after injury. Fifty-eight percent of the subjects rated their relationship before injury as "very good" and after injury this percentage dropped to 16%.

7) Higher educational and vocational training levels positively affected a succesful return to work.

8) Sixty-one percent of the subjects retained an attorney regarding their worker's compensation claim.

Comparison of the employed and unemployed groups was performed on several factors. Results indicated that the employed group was younger (average age of 34 years), were off from work a shorter length of time before referral to rehabilitation (14 weeks), were in treatment less time (seven weeks), had a higher educational and vocational training level, had less occurrence of surgery for thier back problem, and had retained an attorney less frequently than the employed group.

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