Psychosocial risk factors and their impact on the performance of everyday activities in Canadian veterans

• Published in: Journal of military and veterans' health. Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 28 - 41
• Main Authors: A M Miguel-Cruz, S Brintnell, M Roxburgh, J Guevara Salamanca, L Liu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canberra Department of Defence 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Evaluation; Medical care; Mental health; Methodology; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Veterans
• ISSN: 1835-1271

Background: Psychosocial risk factors have been identified as factors for prolonged occupational disability in individuals with debilitating musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain and mental health conditions. Purpose: This study has the complementary aims of identifying the correlations of psychosocial risk factors with (1) symptom profile factors and (2) the perceived impact of health conditions on the performance of daily activities based on the behavioural indicators of veterans referred for interdisciplinary rehabilitation in a sample of veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces (VCAF). Materials and methods: We used a retrospective and cross-sectional non-experimental correlational analysis study design. The correlational analyses were performed using the following variables: psychosocial risk factors and symptom profile factors, and the perceived impact of health conditions on the performance of daily activities based on behavioural indicators. Results: A statistically significant correlation was found between the overall Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) score and perceived disability, catastrophic thoughts, perceived injustice, fear of movement, and between fatigue and the physical dimension SIP score. Conclusion: Veterans who have an alarmist view of their symptoms, who are fearful of exacerbating their symptoms through movement, and who harbour feelings of unfairness or injustice experienced a greater perceived impact of their health conditions on their performance of daily activities.