12/05/2025
Common Red Flags That Suggest a Psychiatric IME Is Needed.
In many injury claims, the biggest barriers to recovery aren’t physical — they’re psychological. Here are the red flags we see most often:
🔹 Recovery stalls with no medical explanation
🔹 Reports of anxiety, panic, or fear about returning to work
🔹 Significant pain behaviors inconsistent with clinical findings
🔹 Traumatic workplace events (violence, catastrophic injury, assaults)
🔹 Sleep disturbances that impact function
🔹 Emotional volatility or difficulty cooperating with treatment
🔹 Concerns about medication use or mental health history
🔹 Possible symptom exaggeration or secondary gain
When these signs appear, a psychiatric IME can provide clarity, address non-medical barriers, and help move the claim forward.
Merit offers virtual psychiatric IMEs for faster scheduling and reduced delays.
If you’re seeing any of these patterns in a case, we can help.
Full article in the link below.
In workers’ compensation and injury litigation, psychological and behavioral factors can be the hidden drivers behind delayed recovery. Recognizing them early can prevent months of unnecessary treatment, stalled claims, and escalating costs.