Association Between Illness Perceptions and Return-to-Work Expectations in Workers with Common Mental Health Symptoms

• Published in: Journal of occupational rehabilitation Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 160 - 170
• Main Authors: Løvvik, Camilla, Øverland, Simon, Hysing, Mari, Broadbent, Elizabeth, Reme, Silje E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-03-2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Analysis; Anxiety; Behavior modification; Behavior therapy; Clinical Psychology; Clinical trials; Cognitive therapy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Employment - psychology; Environmental Health; Expectations; Female; Health Psychology; Humans; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Disorders - rehabilitation; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Orthopedics; Perception; Perceptions; Prospective Studies; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Public health; Rehabilitation; Return to Work; Return to work programs; Severity of Illness Index; Sick Leave; Socioeconomic Factors; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Work; Worker absenteeism; Young Adult; Return to work (RTW); Depression; Anxiety; RTW-expectations; Common mental health symptoms (MHSs); Illness perceptions
• ISSN: 1053-0487; 1573-3688
• DOI: 10.1007/s10926-013-9439-8

Purpose
Mental health symptoms (MHSs) may affect people’s work capacity and lead to sickness absence and disability. Expectations and perceptions of illness have been shown to influence return to work (RTW) across health conditions, but we know little about illness perceptions and RTW-expectations in MHSs. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between illness perceptions and RTW-expectations in a group struggling with work participation due to MHSs.
Methods
Cross-sectional associations between illness perceptions and return to work expectations at baseline were analyzed for 1,193 participants who reported that MHSs affected their work participation. The study was part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of job focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combined with supported employment (IPS). Participants were from a working age population with diverse job status.
Results
There was a strong and salient relationship between illness perceptions and RTW-expectations. When adjusting for demographic and clinical variables, the components
consequences
,
personal control
,
identity
and
illness concern
remained significantly associated with uncertain and negative RTW-expectations. Less illness
understanding
remained significantly associated with uncertain RTW-expectations, while
timeline
and
emotional representations
remained significantly associated with negative RTW-expectations. In the fully adjusted model only the
consequences
component (believing that illness has more severe consequences) remained significantly associated with RTW-expectations. Openly asked, participants reported
work, personal relationships
and
stress
as main causes of their illness.
Conclusions
In people with MHSs who struggle with work participation, perceptions and beliefs about their problems are strongly associated with their expectations to return to work.