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Post-stroke fatigue and return to work: a 2-year follow-up
G Andersen1, D Christensen, M Kirkevold
1Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|June 23, 2011
Summary
Post-stroke fatigue significantly impacts the ability to return to paid work. Patients experiencing pathological fatigue after a stroke have a reduced chance of resuming employment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Post-stroke fatigue is a common issue affecting return to work.
- Quantitative studies on this topic are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between post-stroke fatigue and the ability to return to paid work.
- To quantify the impact of fatigue on employment outcomes following stroke.
Main Methods:
- Included 83 first-ever stroke patients under 60 years old, employed at baseline.
- Assessed fatigue using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory over a 2-year follow-up.
- Defined pathological fatigue and return to paid work (≥10 h/week); analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
Main Results:
- 58% of patients returned to paid work after 2 years.
- Baseline pathological fatigue (General Fatigue score ≥12) was associated with lower odds of returning to work (OR 0.39).
- Persisting fatigue at 2 years (OR 0.29) and higher continuous fatigue scores (OR 0.87 per point increase) also negatively impacted return to work.
Conclusions:
- Post-stroke fatigue is an independent determinant of not returning to paid work.
- Fatigue significantly hinders vocational rehabilitation and return to employment after stroke.
