THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE WORKERS COMPENSATION SYSTEM ON QUALITY-OF-LIFE OUTCOMES - A CLINICAL ANALYSIS

If is widely recognized that the Workers' Compensation System has evol ved into a costly adversarial, stress engendering set of interactions Most prior research has examined the pathology of the individual which contributes to these costs. This paper presents an analysis of the wa ys that the system itself is pathogenic. Based on a model of factors c omprising health-related quality of life, we analyze how the environme nt of the Workers' Compensation System promotes increased symptom repo rts, decreased functional status and negative general health perceptio ns while fostering destructive anxieties. We recommend that future pro spective research move from a focus on the individual to a focus on th e system and ifs interaction with the individual.