Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of gender on the return to work experience of
workers who sustained a work-related mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN:
Qualitative study using in-depth telephone interviews.
SETTING: Community.
PARTICIPANTS: Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Participants
were adults (N=12; males, n=6, females, n=6) with a diagnosis of mild TBI
sustained through a workplace injury. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Not applicable. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that gender impacts
return to work experiences in multiple ways. Occupational and breadwinner roles
were significant for both men and women after work-related mild TBI. Women in
this study were more proactive than men in seeking and requesting medical and
rehabilitation services; however, the workplace culture may contribute to whether
and how health issues are discussed. Among our participants, those who worked in
supportive, nurturing (eg, feminine) workplaces reported more positive return to
work (RTW) experiences than participants employed in traditionally masculine work
environments. For all participants, employer and coworker relations were critical
elements in RTW outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The application of a gender analysis in
this preliminary exploratory study revealed that gender is implicated in the RTW
process on many levels for men and women alike. Further examination of the work
reintegration processes that takes gender into account is necessary for the
development of successful policy and practice for RTW after work-related MTBI.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS