Return to work after mild-to-moderate stroke: work satisfaction and predictive factors

ABSTRACT

A large proportion of stroke patients are unable to return to work (RTW), although figures vary greatly. A total of 121 mild-to-moderate stroke patients, who had a paid job at the time of their stroke were included (a) to quantify RTW and work satisfaction one-year post-stroke (using the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation) and (b) to determine factors predicting RTW post-stroke, based on stroke-related, personal and neuropsychological variables. Half of the patients were not in work (28%) or were working less (22%) than pre-stroke. Ninety percent of those in fulltime employment post-stroke were satisfied with their occupational situation, against 36% of the unemployed participants. In regards to factors predicting RTW, global cognitive functioning (r = .19, Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and depressive symptoms (r = −.16, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) at two months post-stroke onset were associated with return to work within one year. Only global cognitive functioning was an independent predictor of RTW (11.3% variance, p = .013). Although the explained variance was not that high, neuropsychological factors probably play a pivotal role in returning to work and should be taken into account during rehabilitation after mild and moderate stroke.

KEYWORDS:

• Return to work
• stroke
• predictive factors
• work satisfaction
• cognition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Tanja C. W. Nijboer http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6683-0267

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Dutch VSBFonds [grant number 89000004], and coordinated by ZonMw (Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development). The funding sources had no involvement in the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report, and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.