Injury severity associated with nonfatal construction falls.

This study evaluated injury severity in a group of construction workers who sustained nonfatal falls at work. The sample consisted of 255 adults who were identified from Doctor's First Reports (DFRs) submitted to the California Department of Industrial Relations. For those that fell from heights (n = 195), the mean height of fall was 9.2 feet (SD = 7.1). The mean number of lost work days was 44.3 days (SD = 58.6) and the median was 10 days. Two measures of injury severity were used--the Injury Severity Score and the disability section of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Seventeen participants (7%; 95% CI, 4-10%) were deemed permanently disabled. A simultaneous multiple regression model, using five independent variables, explained approximately 21% of the variance in HAQ scores. Nonunion status and safety climate scores indicating increased risk were positively correlated with higher functional limitation as measured by HAQ scores, as were greater heights and impact on concrete surface. Higher scores on both injury severity measures were significantly and moderately associated with a greater number of days lost from work. These findings suggest that injury severity and permanent disability associated with falls in construction are notable, and identify key target areas for intervention and prevention.

Depression in painful chronic disorders: the role of pain and conflict about pain.

Chronic pain severity, the responses of the significant other to the patient's pain, and social network relationships were investigated for their contributions to depression among patients with myofascial pain disorders (N = 67) and arthritis (N = 83). Interview data were gathered using the Beck Depression Inventory, McGill Pain Inventory, Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and Interpersonal Relationships Inventory. Patients with myofascial pain disorders reported significantly more severe depression and pain, more conflict about their pain, and more network conflict than those with arthritis. They also reported less network social support. After controlling for the type of painful chronic disorder, multiple linear regression analyses indicated that more severe depression was significantly associated with more severe pain, conflict about pain, and less network social support. Conflict about pain may increase the risk of depression for patients with chronic painful disorders. Patients with myofascial pain disorders, however, may experience more conflict about their pain because of the absence of objective physical findings that corroborate the report of pain.