The injured and unemployed are more likely to commit suicide, suffer from depression and die earlier than uninjured people who have a job, a visiting health expert says.
Dame Carol Black, director of Health and Work in Britain, is in New Zealand this week to talk to businesses and health providers about the benefits of workplace rehabilitation.
International research suggested recovering from an injury at work delivered significant health benefits.
Dame Carol was also due to speak at a Royal Australasian College of Physicians research launch tomorrow.
The research suggested work practices, workplace culture, injury management programmes and relationships within workplaces influenced whether people felt valued at work as well as individual health and wellbeing.
ACC director of clinical services Kevin Morris said the organisation recognised the research that showed there were "real health and wellbeing benefits for injured people who return safely to work".
ACC was using the research findings in its Better at Work trial in selected primary health organisations.
"The goal is to reduce time off work by enabling injured workers to recover safely at work where they have a routine, a purpose and companionship," Mr Morris said.
- NZPA
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