Virtual program to reduce feelings of injustice after a workplace neck or back injury
Official title: Feasibility and Acceptability of an Evidence-Informed Virtual Intervention to Reduce Perceptions of Injustice Following Work Injury
Run by McGill University · NCT07072702 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try four 30-minute online sessions with a psychologist to see if it reduces feelings of unfairness and helps recovery for people aged 25–65 who recently missed work because of a neck or back injury and who score high for perceived injustice.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 25 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 75 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | McGill University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Montreal, Quebec) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 30, 2024 |
| Main results expected | March 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 18, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07072702 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 25–65 with a recent (under 8 weeks) work-related neck or back musculoskeletal injury, currently receiving WSIB wage benefits, who speak English and score above the clinical threshold for perceived injustice are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People currently in psychological treatment, with clear structural diagnoses such as vertebral fracture or disk herniation, with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, with severe cognitive impairment or illiteracy, or who are not WSIB wage-benefit recipients or beyond the 8-week window are unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This feasibility and acceptability study delivers Managing Post-Injury Challenges (MPIC), a four-session intervention of 30 minutes each, delivered virtually by a psychologist. It enrolls adults aged 25–65 with work-related neck or back musculoskeletal injuries who have been off work for less than eight weeks, have elevated perceived injustice scores, and are receiving WSIB wage benefits. The trial focuses on feasibility outcomes (recruitment, adherence, and acceptability) and collects preliminary measures of perceived injustice, pain, mood, and work absence. Key exclusions include current psychological treatment, clinical evidence of structural spinal pathology or inflammatory disease, and severe cognitive impairment or illiteracy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, MPIC could lower perceptions of injustice, lessen pain-related distress and disability, and help people return to work sooner.
How similar studies have gone: There are no prior programs developed specifically to target post-injury perceived injustice, although reductions in perceived injustice achieved in related interventions have been associated with improved rehabilitation outcomes in several musculoskeletal conditions.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. working knowledge of English, 2. work absence of less than 8 weeks duration following a musculoskeletal injury to the back or neck, 3. a score above clinical threshold on a self-report measure of perceived injustice, 4. between 25 and 65 years of age, 5. referred for primary care physiotherapy, and 6. currently receiving wage indemnity benefits from the WSIB. Exclusion Criteria: 1. currently receiving psychological services for a mental health problem, 2. clinical evidence of vertebral fracture, disk herniation, infectious disease, or rheumatoid arthritis (determined from referral information), 3. illiteracy or severe cognitive impairment (determined informally through the intake interview).
Where it's running
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McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Michael Sullivan Sullivan, PhD
- Email: michael.sullivan@mcgill.ca
- Phone: 1-514-512-7246
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.