Individual and group cognitive-behavioral treatment for work-related stress complaints and sickness absence: a randomized controlled trial. Effects of a stress management intervention on absenteeism and return to work--results from a randomized wait-list controlled trial. Guideline-based care of common mental disorders by occupational physicians (CO-OP study): a randomized controlled trial. Reducing long term sickness absence by an activating intervention in adjustment disorders: a cluster randomised controlled design. Cognitively oriented behavioral rehabilitation in combination with Qigong for patients on long-term sick leave because of burnout: REST--a randomized clinical trial. Effectiveness of an intervention to reduce sickness absence in patients with emotional distress or minor mental disorders: a randomized controlled effectiveness trial. A workplace intervention for sick-listed employees with distress: results of a randomised controlled trial. A cluster-randomised trial evaluating an intervention for patients with stress-related mental disorders and sick leave in primary care.
Work-related stress is widespread and can lead to long-term absenteeism and work disability. Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) has demonstrated effectiveness in treating psychopathology but has only rarely been tested in clinical samples with work-related stress. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the efficacy of CBT-based stress management training (SMT). Eighty-two patients on sickness leave with work-related stress were randomly assigned to (a) individual SMT, (b) group SMT, or (c) care as usual (CAU). The SMT comprised 12 sessions conducted by a psychologist. Complaints of burnout and distress were measured at baseline, and at 4, 7, and 10 months. Absenteeism was measured during the whole research period. Across treatment conditions, complaints and sickness absence reduced considerably between baseline and 4 months. Thereafter, complaints remained approximately stable, whereas sickness absence further reduced. Hardly any significant group difference emerged, and no consistent pattern could be discerned in favor of any treatment condition. In subgroups with low depressive complaints, though, individual SMT resulted in larger reductions of some complaints than CAU. In conclusion, this study adds to the evidence that CBT-based interventions as currently practiced are not successful in treating patients with clinical levels of work-related stress.
                Copyright (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved. High levels of work-related stress are associated with increased absenteeism from work and reduced work ability. In this study, we investigated the effects of a stress management intervention on absenteeism and return to work.
                We randomized 102 participants into either the intervention or wait-list control (WLC) group. The intervention group received the intervention in weeks 1-16 from baseline, and the WLC group received the intervention in weeks 17-32. Self-reported data on absenteeism (number of days full- or part-time absent from work within the previous three months) were obtained at 16, 32, and 48 weeks follow-up. Register-based data on long-term absence from work were drawn from the Danish public transfer payments (DREAM) database from baseline and 48 weeks onwards. The DREAM database contains weekly information on long-term sickness absence compensation. The threshold to enter DREAM is sick leave for two consecutive weeks.
                At follow-up in week 16, self-reported absenteeism in the intervention group [median 11 days (range 3-25)] was lower (P=0.02) than in the WLC group [median 45 days (range 19-60)], corresponding to a 29% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 5-52] reduction. On register-based data (cumulated weeks in DREAM, weeks 1-16), the intervention group median [6 weeks (range 0-11)] was lower than that of the WLC group [median 12 weeks (range 8-16)], though not significantly (P=0.06), corresponding to a 21% (95% CI 0-42) reduction. For return to work, a hazard ratio of 1.58 (95% CI 0.89-2.81) favoring the intervention group was found (P=0.12).
                The intervention reduces self-reported absenteeism from work. A similar trend was found from register-based records. No conclusive evidence was found for return to work. To evaluate the effectiveness of guideline-based care (GBC) of workers with mental health problems, which promotes counseling by the occupational physician (OP) facilitating return to work (RTW).
                In a randomized controlled trial with police workers on sick leave due to mental health problems (n = 240), trained OPs delivered GBC in the intervention group. Time to RTW and recurrences during 1-year follow-up, analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, were compared with usual care (UC) with easy access to a psychologist.
                GBC by OPs did not result in earlier RTW than UC. Subgroup analysis showed a small effect in favor of GBC for workers with administrative functions and/or "minor" stress-related symptoms.
                GBC did not differ in RTW compared with UC, but may be beneficial for the majority of workers with minor stress-related disorders. To compare an innovative activating intervention with "care as usual" (control group) for the guidance of employees on sickness leave because of an adjustment disorder. It was hypothesised that the intervention would be more effective than care as usual in lowering the intensity of symptoms, increasing psychological resources, and decreasing sickness leave duration.
                A prospective, cluster randomised controlled trial was carried out with 192 patients on first sickness leave for an adjustment disorder. Symptom intensity, sickness duration, and return to work rates were measured at 3 months and 12 months. Analyses were performed on an intention to treat basis.
                At 3 months, significantly more patients in the intervention group had returned to work compared with the control group. At 12 months all patients had returned to work, but sickness leave was shorter in the intervention group than in the control group. The recurrence rate was lower in the intervention group. There were no differences between the two study groups with regard to the decrease of symptoms. At baseline, symptom intensity was higher in the patients than in a normal reference population, but decreased over time in a similar manner in both groups to approximately normal levels.
                The experimental intervention for adjustment disorders was successful in shortening sick leave duration, mainly by decreasing long term absenteeism. Despite an increase in the occurrence of burnout, there is no agreement on what kind of rehabilitation these patients should be offered.
                Primary aim of this study was to evaluate effects on psychological variables and sick leave rates by two different group rehabilitation programs for patients on long-term sick leave because of burnout. Rehabilitation program A (Cognitively oriented Behavioral Rehabilitation (CBR) and Qigong) was compared with rehabilitation program B (Qigong only).
                In a randomized clinical trial, 96 women and 40 men with a mean age of 41.6 +/- 7.4 years were allocated to one of the two rehabilitation programs.
                A per-protocol analysis showed no significant difference in treatment efficacy between the groups. Both groups improved significantly over time with reduced levels of burnout, self-rated stress behavior, fatigue, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and sick leave rates. In an intention-to-treat analysis, patients in program A had fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms and larger effect sizes in self-rated stress behavior and obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to patients in program B.
                This study showed no differences in effect between CBR and Qigong compared with Qigong only in a per-protocol analysis. Both rehabilitation programs showed positive effect for patients with burnout. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an activating intervention designed to reduce sick leave duration in patients with emotional distress or minor mental disorders.
                In a 1.5-year randomized controlled trial, 194 patients with minor mental disorders received either an experimental intervention by social workers or general practitioners' usual care. The intervention focused on understanding causes, developing and implementing problem-solving strategies and promoting early work resumption. Outcome measures were sick leave duration, mental health and physical health (questionnaires included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire and SF-36), all measured at baseline at and 3, 6 and 18 months later. Multilevel analyses were used to evaluate differences between groups.
                The groups did not differ significantly on any of the outcome measures, except that the experimental group reported higher satisfaction with treatment.
                Although the intervention has benefits, it was not successful at its primary goal (i.e., to reduce sick leave duration in patients with emotional distress or minor mental disorders). Programs aimed at the reduction of sick leave duration may yield better results if targeted at patients with more severe emotional problems than at those with exclusively emotional distress or minor mental disorders, or if delivered by caregivers who are closer to the work environment than are social workers, such as occupational physicians. To evaluate the effectiveness of a participatory workplace intervention compared with usual care for sick-listed employees with distress, with regard to return to work (RTW) within the 12-month follow-up.
                Employees with distress and sick-listed for 2-8 weeks were randomised to a workplace intervention (n=73) or to usual care (n=72). The participatory workplace intervention is a stepwise process involving the sick-listed employee and their supervisor, aimed at reducing obstacles for RTW by reaching consensus about an action plan for RTW. Outcome variables were lasting RTW, cumulative sickness absence and stress-related symptoms.
                Overall, an HR of 0.99 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.39) indicated no effect of the workplace intervention on lasting RTW. However, the workplace intervention significantly reduced the time until lasting RTW for employees who at baseline intended to return to work despite symptoms with an HR of 2.05 (95% CI 1.22 to 3.45). Employees who intended to return to work despite symptoms returned to work after 55 days in the workplace intervention group and 120 days in the usual care group. No such effect of the intervention was found for employees without baseline intentions to return to work despite symptoms (HR=0.78, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.28).
                No overall effect of the participatory workplace intervention on lasting RTW was found. The workplace intervention appeared effective on lasting RTW for employees who at baseline intended to return to work despite symptoms. For employees who showed no baseline intention to return to work, the intervention did not have any effect. Other approaches are needed for this subgroup. This trial has been registered at the Dutch National Trial Register ISRCTN92307123. Mental health problems often affect functioning to such an extent that they result in sick leave. The worldwide reported prevalence of mental health problems in the working population is 10%-18%. In developed countries, mental health problems are one of the main grounds for receiving disability benefits. In up to 90% of cases the cause is stress-related, and health-care utilisation is mainly restricted to primary care. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of our Minimal Intervention for Stress-related mental disorders with Sick leave (MISS) in primary care, which is intended to reduce sick leave and prevent chronicity of symptoms.
                Cluster-randomised controlled educational trial.
                Primary health-care practices in the Amsterdam area, The Netherlands.
                A total of 433 patients (MISS n = 227, usual care [UC] n = 206) with sick leave and self-reported elevated level of distress.
                Forty-six primary care physicians were randomised to either receive training in the MISS or to provide UC. Eligible patients were screened by mail.
                The primary outcome measure was duration of sick leave until lasting full return to work. The secondary outcomes were levels of self-reported distress, depression, anxiety, and somatisation.
                No superior effect of the MISS was found on duration of sick leave (hazard ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 0.87-1.29) nor on severity of self-reported symptoms.
                We found no evidence that the MISS is more effective than UC in our study sample of distressed patients. Continuing research should focus on the potential beneficial effects of the MISS; we need to investigate which elements of the intervention might be useful and which elements should be adjusted to make the MISS effective.
We found moderate-quality evidence that CBT did not significantly reduce time until partial RTW and low-quality evidence that it did not significantly reduce time to full RTW compared with no treatment. Moderate-quality evidence showed that PST significantly enhanced partial RTW at one-year follow-up compared to non-guideline based care but did not significantly enhance time to full RTW at one-year follow-up. An important limitation was the small number of studies included in the meta-analyses and the small number of participants, which lowered the power of the analyses.