DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS IN COMPENSATION CLAIMS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (3) , 191-194
Abstract
Psychiatric syndromes following compensable injury are not unusual in surgical practice. All such patients show exaggeration of their symptoms; compensation neurosis and malingering in particular are difficult to separate clinically. The signs and symptoms are reviewed. The prognosis was assessed in 52 cases of compensation neurosis/malingering; remission of symptoms was usual except for spinal injuries, but return to previous occupation was not common and, despite the triviality of 70% of the injuries, 73% of the patients were off work for > 6 mo. The factors affecting prognosis are discussed, but the effect of legal settlement of claims could not be assessed accurately.