Affiliations: Disability and Rehabilitation Research Unit, Griffith
University, Logan Campus, Brisbane, Australia | Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University,
Östersund, Sweden | Faculty of Health Science, Nord-Trøndelag
University College, Levanger, Norway | Department of Social Work and Health Science,
Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim, Norway | Trøndelag Research and Development Institute,
Steinkjer, Norway
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Bodil Landstad, Department of Health
Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 831 25 Östersund, Sweden. Tel.: +47
74166121; Fax: +47 74022956; E-mail: bodil. landstad@miun.se
Abstract: In recent years researchers have tried to identify important factors
that can explain re-integration to work for workers on long-term sick leave.
The results indicate that multiple factors can explain whether or not people
return to work. The aim of the study was to investigate long-term sick workers'
experience of professional support for re-integration to work. Participants
were drawn from the database of The National Social Insurance Board in Norway.
A random sample was selected of persons with mental illness or musculoskeletal
disorders (either p- or l-diagnosis/symptoms related to International
Classification in Primary Care), who were in receipt of Rehabilitation
allowance. The questionnaire was sent to 1 493 persons of whom 740 responded.
The most significant finding is that work training/mastering actions were
identified by the majority of the rehabilitation benefit recipients as being of
slight or moderate use. This highlights the importance of work
training/mastering actions being relevant in proportion to the specific
situation the individual is presently within. Delays in waiting for treatment
attributed to approximately half of the rehabilitation benefit recipient's
problems returning to work. This study also highlights that rehabilitation
benefit recipients experience loss of co-ordinated measures from those who are
supposed to contribute to simplifying their return to work.
Keywords: Long-term sickness, rehabilitation allowance, musculoskeletal disorders, mental sickness, back to work, professional support, survey, Norway
