Work-related burn injuries and claims for post-traumatic stress disorder in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to broaden our understanding of psychiatric disorders due to work-related burn injury compensated by the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance operated by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KCOMWEL).

METHODS: Using the KCOMWEL electronic database, we collected data on psychiatric disorders due to work-related burn injury based on workers' compensation records from 2005 to 2014 and analyzed the characteristics of the claims.

RESULTS: The average number of claims per year for post-traumatic stress disorder was 67 and the approval rate from 2005 to 2014 was 53.6%. Regarding occupation, 63 workers were elementary workers involved in the performance of simple and routine tasks which may require the use of hand-held tools and considerable physical effort and 59 were electrical and electronic equipment fitters and repairers. Acute stress disorder, nonorganic insomnia, and sexual dysfunction were the most commonly approved psychiatric disorders associated with work-related burn injury, followed by mixed anxiety-depressive disorder.

CONCLUSIONS: We analyzed the characteristics of the psychiatric disorders due to work-related burn injury for which compensation was received from 2005 to 2014 according to the approved results. To gain a long-term understanding of the management of workers' compensation status for psychiatric disorders due to work-related burn injuries, we should gather accurate information on the risk factors involved in order to achieve the needed systematic improvements.