Lakehead University study examines how occupational injuries ripple through entire families
When a worker is injured on the job, the consequences rarely stay contained to one person. A new community-based research project out of Lakehead University is working to document what happens to the families left navigating that reality alongside them.
Led by Amanda Maranzan, associate professor in the Department of Psychology and a scientist with the EPID@Work Research Institute, the project is a collaboration between the university and the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group. It was the injured worker community itself that drove the research question.
"When somebody is injured at work, it's not just an individual issue for the worker, it becomes a family issue almost immediately," Maranzan said. "Through these different areas, the effects really do ripple out within the family."
A gap in the research
While existing literature has examined how workplace injuries affect workers themselves, Maranzan says far less attention has been paid to what family members go through. The project is designed to address that gap directly, focusing on the emotional, financial, and relational toll injuries place on households.
Financial strain tends to hit first. Lost income, reduced hours, and delays or gaps in compensation systems create immediate pressure that families must absorb, often without adequate support. Emotional consequences follow closely — stress, anxiety, depression, and in some cases post-traumatic stress, felt not only by the injured worker but by those around them.
Family roles can shift dramatically, too. "Partners might become caregivers, kids might take on more responsibilities," Maranzan said. "And the loss of independence for some injured workers can be really difficult for them as well as their family members."
How the research works
The team has been conducting focus groups and individual interviews since January 2026, with recruitment open to family members in Thunder Bay as well as across Canada via Zoom. They aim to wrap up data collection by the end of June, after which researchers will analyse the material for themes and patterns.
Participants will then be invited back for a member-checking process, a standard qualitative research step in which preliminary findings are shared with participants to verify accuracy and gather additional feedback. The team plans to share its findings broadly once the analysis is complete.
A message for safety leaders
Maranzan has a clear message for health and safety professionals, especially those who work with injured workers and on return-to-work initiatives.
"If we want a compensation and health system that truly supports recovery from workplace injuries, we need to think about not only the financial and medical side, but also the experience of family members," she said. "This means designing processes and policies that include them."
The project's findings, when published, could carry meaningful implications for how employers, insurers, and policymakers think about the full scope of a workplace injury, and what genuine recovery looks like.
Families interested in participating can find more information on the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group website.
