Functioning, coping and work status three years after participating in an interdisciplinary, occupational...

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Social security research

Background:

• Occupational rehabilitation programs aim to facilitate return to work for individuals on long-term sick leave.
• Understanding factors influencing long-term work status post-rehabilitation is crucial for program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between functional ability, coping, health, and work/benefit status three years after an inpatient occupational rehabilitation program.
• To identify key predictors for sustained return to work or continued benefit reception.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 338 individuals, previously participants in a 4-week inpatient occupational rehabilitation program, were surveyed.
• Standardized questionnaires assessed subjective health complaints, functional ability, coping, and current work/benefit status.
• Logistic regression analyses were employed to examine associations between variables.

Main Results:

• Three years post-rehabilitation, 59% of participants were employed at least 50%.
• Poor functional ability and low coping were significantly associated with receiving disability allowances in the fully adjusted model.
• Other factors like general health, subjective health complaints, physical fitness, and sleep quality also showed initial associations with benefit status.

Conclusions:

• Functional ability and coping are the strongest predictors of not returning to work post-occupational rehabilitation.
• Occupational rehabilitation programs should prioritize interventions to enhance functional ability and coping skills.
• Promoting part-time work can be a viable strategy for reintegrating individuals with reduced work capacity.