ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the stages of change involved in return to work (RTW) for a group of workers who had been suffering from chronic pain. METHOD: The participants were 67 (mean age = 42.67) injured workers who participated in a six-week RTW program. Assessments of the participants on various measures were conducted before and during the program, and at the end of the follow-up period (3 months post-program). RESULTS: The overall RTW rate of the participants was 65.7%. Most importantly, the participants' RTW outcomes were found to be significantly predicted by their readiness for RTW (action) at the baseline. In the third week, their RTW was significantly predicted by their confidence in returning to work and their readiness for RTW (action). By the sixth week, their RTW outcomes were predicted by their readiness for RTW (pre-contemplation). CONCLUSION: The results enable us to better understand the stage-of-change factors that might influence injured workers' resumption of a productive work role and the rehabilitation process of RTW.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Occupational , Disability Evaluation , Occupational Diseases/rehabilitation , Occupational Health , Pain/rehabilitation , Work Capacity Evaluation , Adult , Chronic Disease , Health Status Indicators , Health Surveys , Hong Kong , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Musculoskeletal Diseases/rehabilitation , Prospective Studies , Time Factors , Workers' CompensationABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to explore the psychosocial aspects of injured workers, their self-perceived capacity and how these factors influence their success in Return To Work (RTW). METHOD: Seventy-five subjects were recruited from the Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre and were assessed on three occasions consisting of interviews and four self-rated instruments including the Chinese Lam's Assessment of Employment Readiness (C-LASER), the SF-36 health survey, the Chinese State Trait and the Anxiety Inventory (C-STAI). RESULTS: Results showed that the contemplation and pre-contemplation sub-scores of C-LASER appeared to be the determining factors in predicting subjects' return-to-work status. Subjects who were more "ready for action" (the Actioners) were found to have significantly higher confidence and advocacy in job seeking than the Pre-Contemplators. Their employment readiness was shown to be affected by psychosocial factors such as perceived functioning and bodily pain, DISCUSSION: From this study, the injured workers' employment readiness appeared to associate with their RTW outcomes. Further studies would be needed to find out how the employment readiness of injured workers could be enhanced.
