Frontlinehealthcare.ca is designed to provide healthcare workers, supervisors and employers information about Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in particular.
An Operational Stress Injury (OSI) is any persistent psychological difficulty resulting from operational duties. Workers experiencing high levels of operational stress injury are at greater risk of suffering from depression, anxiety or PTSD (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2019).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one type of operational stress injury. It is a mental illness that results from exposure to trauma from single or multiple events that involve death or the threat of death or serious injury. PTSD may also be linked to ongoing emotional trauma, such as abuse in a relationship (Canadian Mental Health Association).
Ontario’s Presumptive Legislation
Ontario has presumptive legislation called Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders and Other Designated Workers. This legislation applies to nurses who directly provide patient care. Under this legislation, if you are a worker who directly provides patient care and are diagnosed with PTSD, while also meeting specific employment and diagnostic criteria, the PTSD is presumed (or thought) to have occurred as a result of their work unless the contrary is shown.
