Women's event in Prince Albert Friday, Feb. 22, 2019.. (Photo by Brady Bateman/The Press) : Brady Bateman

By Brady Bateman

Mental Health

Sask. Workers Compensation Board sees increase in mental health claims

Feb 22, 2019 | 3:30 PM

Mental health is no longer the taboo subject it once was, and with the rise of mental health discussions, there has also been a rise in mental health related Workers Compensation Board (WCB) claims.

Over the last three years, the Saskatchewan WCB saw a 75 per cent increase in the number of mental health claims accepted.

Recent changes to legislature have made it easier for workers who have suffered from some form of mental health issue to apply for compensation. Bill 39 established a rebuttable presumption for psychological injuries for workers exposed to traumatic events during the course of their employment. Under the legislation it is presumed a worker sustained the injury as a result of their work unless there is evidence to the contrary.

Mick Williams, the vice-president of operations with the Saskatchewan WCB, said the increase was spurred by the changes in legislation made in December of 2016.

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“With the change in legislation we’re accepting at a much higher rate than we were,” Williams said.

“Over time there was a steady, but not significant, slight uptick. Then when the legislation changed it brought attention to the issue, and gave us the mandate to accept a wider range of claims.”

Williams noted a large variety of mental health issues are covered under WCB as long as the issue arose during a time the individual was with their employer.

“What we rely on, and what the medical community relies on is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychological Disorders,” Williams said.

“If the disorder is in there, than it is an eligible claim. The coverage is definitely all over the board. We see a high number of anxiety-related disorders, as well as trauma.”

In response to the rise of mental health claims, WorkSafe Saskatchewan launched a suite of psychological health and safety courses available on the WorkSafe website. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) developed the courses to help educate workers, supervisors and managers. Employers are encouraged to take advantage of new resources made available to help create psychologically healthy work environments for their employees.

“The increase in the number of mental health claims suggests a real need in our province,” Kevin Mooney, the director of prevention at the WCB, said. “At WorkSafe, we are working to provide employers with training on how to create psychologically healthy workplaces for employees and how to support employees when they are experiencing mental health challenges.”

WorkSafe has also recently partnered with the University of Fredericton (UFred) to offer Saskatchewan employers and workers a suite of psychological health and wellness courses. The online training includes both theory and practical application.

“Our goal is to help reduce the stigma around mental health issues in the workplace and create psychologically safe work environments,” Mooney said. “Workers will benefit from a psychologically supported work environment. Employers will be educated to identify the signs and take appropriate action, and also benefit from keeping experienced and valued employees in their workforce.”

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brady.bateman@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TheDigitalBirdy