Preventing the Invisible Injury: Why Psychological Safety After Physical Injury Matters More Than Ever

When a worker is injured, the focus is usually clear: treat the body, manage the claim, and support a return to work plan. But growing Australian research shows that for many workers, the most damaging injury doesn’t come from the original incident — it develops quietly after the claim begins.

This is known as secondary psychological injury, and it is now recognised as a major driver of prolonged recovery, delayed return to work, and escalating compensation costs. At Mind Culture Life Australia, we see this every day — and the good news is that much of this harm is preventable.

What Is Secondary Psychological Injury?

The Monash University–led national study defines secondary psychological injury as the new onset or worsening of psychological symptoms after a workers’ compensation claim has commenced, often developing alongside a physical injury.

Unlike primary psychological injury, this harm is rarely caused by a single traumatic event. Instead, it builds over time through:

• Uncertainty about recovery and finances

• Loss of control over decisions

• Poor communication or impersonal systems

• Unsupportive workplace responses

• Stressful or failed return-to-work attempts

  
  

Symptoms most commonly include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, rumination, and emotional withdrawal — often fluctuating but persistent enough to significantly affect function and work participation.

The Biggest Risk Factor Isn’t the Injury — It’s the Experience

One of the clearest findings from the research is this: secondary psychological injury is driven far more by systems and interactions than by injury severity.

Key contributors identified include:

• Uncertainty about entitlements, timeframes, and outcomes

• Financial stress, especially during claim delays or income step-downs

• Loss of autonomy, where decisions are made about workers rather than with them

• Poor employer or manager responses, particularly early after injury

• Impersonal or unempathetic claims interactions

• Long claim duration, which significantly increases risk over time

In short: when people feel unheard, unsupported, or powerless, psychological harm follows.

Why Early Workplace Action Matters

The research consistently highlights that early intervention is critical — not just clinical intervention, but organisational intervention.

Line managers, leaders, and workplace systems play a decisive role in whether secondary psychological injury develops or is prevented. In fact, the injured worker’s direct manager is often described as “the face of the employer” and one of the most influential factors in recovery outcomes. This is where Mind Culture Life Australia focuses its work.

How Mind Culture Life Australia Helps Prevent Secondary Psychological Injury

Mind Culture Life Australia specialises in preventative, systems-level psychological health solutions that address the exact risk factors identified in the research.

1. Psychological Safety & Leadership Training

We support leaders and managers to:

• Respond appropriately in the first moments after injury

• Communicate with empathy, clarity, and consistency

• Reduce fear, stigma, and unintentional harm

• Maintain connection with injured workers during absence

This directly targets one of the most modifiable drivers of secondary psychological injury: manager behaviour and communication.

2. Trauma-Informed Workplace Practices

Our trauma-informed approach helps organisations:

• Understand how uncertainty, loss of control, and system complexity affect mental health

• Design processes that reduce re-traumatisation

• Support safe, sustainable return-to-work experiences

The research shows that poorly managed return-to-work attempts are high-risk periods for psychological harm — thoughtful design makes a measurable difference.

3. Early Psychological Risk Awareness (Before It Escalates)

Rather than waiting for diagnosable injury, we help organisations:

• Recognise early warning signs of psychological distress

• Normalise support without stigma

• Integrate wellbeing check-ins as part of recovery planning

This aligns with research recommendations to identify and address contributing factors sooner rather than later.

4. System Education & Culture Change

A recurring theme in the research is that workers often feel lost inside unfamiliar systems.

Mind Culture Life Australia supports organisations to:

• Improve clarity around processes and expectations

• Reduce unnecessary stressors

• Create psychologically safe cultures where recovery is supported, not questioned

Because prevention doesn’t sit with one person — it sits with the system.

Prevention Is Better for People — and for Business

Secondary psychological injury doesn’t just harm workers. It increases claim duration, healthcare use, and organisational costs, while undermining trust and morale.

The Monash report emphasises that many of the key drivers are modifiable. That means organisations have real power to reduce harm — and responsibility to act.

At Mind Culture Life Australia, we work alongside organisations to turn evidence into action — protecting psychological health before invisible injuries take hold.

Final Thought

Physical injuries may start the journey — but how workplaces respond often determines how it ends. By investing in psychologically safe leadership, trauma-informed systems, and early preventative support, organisations can dramatically reduce the risk of secondary psychological injury — and support faster, healthier, more sustainable recovery for everyone involved.

Dr Kiaos is a researcher and practitioner working at the intersection of organisational culture, change, public sector reform and mental health. She is the founder of Mind Culture Life Australia, supporting leaders and People and Culture teams to understand how work really gets done during change.

References

Di Donato M, Gray S, Sanatkar S, Kirk-Brown A, van Dijk P, and Collie A. Research examining

pathways to secondary psychological injury. Healthy Working Lives Research Group,

School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University: Melbourne, 2025.

DOI: 10.26180/30749039