Work-directed interventions for patients with stress-related disorders

Reactions to severe stress, maladaptive stress responses, and the Swedish stress diagnosis exhaustion syndrome are common reasons for long-term sick leave. Stress-related disorders have multiple causes but are in many cases attributed to the individual’s work situation and workload. Work-directed rehabilitation is commonly recommended in combination with other kinds of treatment.

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SBU Enquiry Service

Responds to queries received from Swedish healthcare and social service providers, or governmental organisations. Queries have a limited scope and the process is designed to enable a more rapid response, typically within two to three months. Reports are based on systematic reviews, that are identified through structured searches and critically appraised for risk of bias.

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Question

What evidential support is there that work-directed interventions reduce symptoms and facilitate return to work in persons on sick leave due to stress-related disorders?

Identified studies

  1. Netterstrøm, B., L. Friebel, and Y. Ladegaard, Effects of a multidisciplinary stress treatment programme on patient return to work rate and symptom reduction: Results from a randomised, wait-list controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2013. 82(3): p. 177-186.
  2. Dalgaard, V.L., et al., Return to work after work-related stress: a randomized controlled trial of a work-focused cognitive behavioral intervention. Scand J Work Environ Health, 2017.

Literature search

Project group

Anna Andreasson, Laura Lintamo and Per Lytsy at SBU.

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