Significant resources needed for return to work after sick leave.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Increasing prevalence of long-term sick leave, particularly for stress-related conditions and musculoskeletal disorders.
• Need for early identification of factors influencing return to work (RTW).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictors of individual resources for successful return to work among individuals on sick leave.
• To compare individuals on sick leave with healthy reference groups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using questionnaires assessing diagnosis, symptoms, demographics, work, and daily life consequences.
• Utilized validated checklists for life satisfaction, sense of coherence, locus of control, and coping resources.
• Collected longitudinal sick leave data over a four-year period.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed between the sick leave group and reference groups in sense of coherence, locus of control, life satisfaction, and coping resources.
• Over 50% of the study group remained on sick leave at a two-year follow-up.
• Key predictive factors for prolonged sick leave included prior sick leave history, self-reported symptoms, and individual beliefs about the future.

Conclusions:

• Sense of coherence, locus of control, life satisfaction, and coping resources are significantly impacted by sick leave.
• Previous sick leave, symptom reporting, and future outlook are critical indicators for return to work.
• Early intervention strategies should address these predictive factors to support sustained return to work.