Behavioral Health and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability Flashcards

The biopsychosocial model of disability emphasizes that disability outcomes are influenced by which combination of factors?

Answer: Biological, psychological, and social factors working together

The biopsychosocial model recognizes that biological (medical), psychological (mental health, beliefs, coping), and social (workplace, family, cultural) factors all interact to shape disability and recovery outcomes.

Which psychological phenomenon describes a worker's fear of re-injury that leads to avoidance of physical activity and prolongs disability?

Answer: Fear-avoidance model

The fear-avoidance model explains how catastrophic thinking about pain leads to avoidance behaviors, physical deconditioning, and prolonged disability beyond what the medical condition alone would predict.

A disability manager notices a claimant is resistant to returning to work despite medical clearance. Which psychosocial barrier is MOST commonly associated with this pattern?

Answer: Psychological readiness and fear of re-injury

Psychological readiness, including fear of re-injury, low self-efficacy, and anxiety, is one of the most common psychosocial barriers to return-to-work even when medical clearance has been granted.

Which stage of grief, as described by Kübler-Ross, is most commonly observed in individuals newly diagnosed with a permanent disability?

Answer: Denial

Denial is typically the initial stage in the Kübler-Ross grief model, where individuals refuse to accept the reality of a diagnosis or permanent impairment as a psychological protective mechanism.

According to the psychosocial literature on disability management, strong social support from family and coworkers is associated with which outcome?

Answer: Faster return-to-work and better rehabilitation outcomes

Research consistently shows that robust social support networks positively influence motivation, coping, and adherence to rehabilitation, leading to faster return-to-work and improved functional outcomes.

In disability management, 'yellow flags' refer to which type of factors?

Answer: Psychosocial risk factors that predict delayed recovery and chronicity

Yellow flags are psychosocial risk factors — including unhelpful beliefs about pain, poor coping, fear-avoidance, and workplace/social issues — that predict delayed recovery and the transition from acute to chronic disability.

Which coping style is most associated with positive rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with work-related disabilities?

Answer: Problem-focused active coping with self-efficacy

Problem-focused coping combined with high self-efficacy — the belief in one's ability to manage challenges and achieve goals — is consistently linked to better rehabilitation adherence and return-to-work outcomes.