Research: RSI not caused by mental problems
RSI is not a mental problem, says a study done by the Coronel Institute for Labour and Health, part of the AMC in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. People with pain in the arms, hands and shoulders are mentally not different from anyone else. Depressions and burn-out are not more frequent among RSI patients compared to the rest of the population.
The study addresses a prejudice that RSI goes arm in arm with psychological problem. A remarkable finding of the studies is that 75% of the RSI patients continue to work normally. Recovery is done in spare time, with a negative impact on quality of life social activity. It is recommended to take more time for recovery of problems related to computer overuse.
"The fact that psychosocial influences are a part of RSI is not related to the psychological fitness of the employee", states researcher Judith Sluiter of the Coronel institute; "It is true that people with RSI problems suffer physical limitations". Recent studies done by TNO show that 15% of the general working population suffer from problems in the arm, neck and shoulder, with a much higher percentage for computer workers.
