Suffering an injury at work in New Jersey is never something you want to happen. When it does occur, you may feel lost and unsure about what happens next. This is especially true if it is a serious injury that will require a long recovery. You have a right to be worried since, according to MarketWatch, there is link between long-term work injuries and drug abuse and suicide.
It may seem incredibly scary when you not only have to worry about an injury but also the effects of that injury. When it comes to drug abuse, this link is due to the common use of opioids in the pain management of serious injuries. If you are aware and follow doctor’s orders, you should be able to side step a drug addiction. So, that is good news.
As far as the higher risk for suicide, this may not be as easy to avoid. When you have a serious injury and cannot work, there are financial and psychological effects that come from that. Even with workers’ compensation, you will not recoup all of your lost wages. This could cause financial strain, which then may affect your relationships and other areas of your life. Being down physically also take a toll on your mental health.
This culminates in a higher rate of depression among people with long-term work injuries. One risk of depression is suicide, which has shown to occur at a high rate for people who suffer an injury on the job and are not able to return to work within a week. This information is for education and is not legal advice.