Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies (N=20 studies (presented in 25 articles))

From: Effectiveness of work-related interventions for return to work in people on sick leave: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Study (country)

Population

Intervention

Comparison

Outcomes

Aasdahl et al., 2018 [30] (Norway)

N=168, 45 (18–60) yrs, 77% women, CMDs, MSDs, median sick leave 224 days

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

ACT

Sickness absence days

RTW 4 weeks

Gismervik et al., 2018 [31] (Norway)

N=166, 46 (18–60) yrs, 81% women, CMDs, MSDs, mean sick leave 210 days

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

ACT

Sickness absence days

RTW 4 weeks

Pain

Anxiety

Depression

Subjective health complaints

HRQoL

Brendbekken et al., 2017 [32] (Norway)

N=284, 40 (20–60) yrs, 55% women, MSDs, mean sick leave 147 days

Multi-disciplinary intervention (24 mo)

Brief intervention

Full and partly RTW

Brouwers et al., 2006 [33] (the Netherlands)

N=194, 40 (18–60) yrs, 58% women, MSDs,

<3 mo sick leave

Problem-solving approach (18 mo)

UC

Days of sick leave

Anxiety

Depression

Bültmann et al., 2009 [34] (Denmark)

N=113, 44 yrs, 55% women, MSDs, mean sick leave 39 days

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

Hours of sickness absence

Work status

Pain intensity

Functional disability

Dalgaard et al., 2017 [35] (Denmark)

N=163, 45 (28–60) yrs, 74% women, adjustment disorder, stress reaction, mild depression, <4 mo sick leave

W-CBT (10 mo)

(1) Clinical examination and UC

(2) UC

Time until lasting RTW

Sick leave status

Length of sick leave

De Weerd et al., 2016 [36] (the Netherlands)

N=60, 40 yrs, 58% women, CMDs, mean sick leave 42 days

W-CBT with additional dialogue meeting

W-CBT

Time to first RTW

Time to full RTW

Mental health

Hees et al., 2013 [37] (the Netherlands)

N=117, 43 (18–65) yrs, 47% women, depression, >8 weeks sick leave

Adjuvant occupational therapy (18 mo)

UC

Absenteeism

Time until partial/full RTW

Depression

Health-related function

At-work functioning

Jensen et al., 2011, 2012 [38, 39] (Denmark)

N=351, 42 (16–60) yrs, 54% women, low back pain, 3–16 weeks sick leave

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation and brief intervention (24 mo)

Brief intervention

RTW 4 weeks

Pain

Disability

Fear-avoidance

Quality of life

Lambeek et al., 2010, 2010 [40, 41] (the Netherlands)

N=134, 46 (18–65) yrs, 44% women, low back pain, median sick leave 142 days

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

RTW 4 weeks

Pain intensity

Functional status

HRQOL

Cost-effectiveness

Lindell et al., 2008 [42] (Sweden)

N=123, 42 (<59) yrs, 34% women, back and neck pain, 42–730 days sick leave

W-CBT (18 mo)

UC

RTW for 30 days

RTW chance

Days of sick leave

Marhold et al., 2001 [43] (Sweden)

N=72, 46 (25–60) yrs, 100% women, MSDs, mean sick leave 3 mo

W-CBT (6 mo)

UC

Days on sick leave

Pain

Coping

Disability

Depression

Martin et al., 2013 [44] (Denmark)

N=196, 41 (20–60) yrs, 69% women, CMDs, mean sick leave 8 weeks

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

Time to RTW

Work status

Meijer et al., 2006 [45] (the Netherlands)

N=34, 39 (18–65) yrs, 61% women, MSDs, 4–20 weeks sick leave

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

RTW

Pain

Disability

Physical function

Cost-effectiveness

Moll et al., 2018 [46] (Denmark)

N=168, 40 (18–60) yrs, 69% women, neck and shoulder pain, 4–12 weeks sick leave

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

Brief multi-disciplinary intervention

RTW 4 weeks

Pain

Disability

Poulsen et al., 2014 [47] (Denmark)

N=1757, 41 yrs, 59% women, CMDs and somatic disorders, ≥8 weeks sick leave

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

RTW 1 week

Momsen et al., 2016 [48] (Denmark)

N=443, 44 (18–65) yrs, 62% women, MSDs and CMDs

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

UC

RTW 4 weeks

Myhre et al., 2014 [49] (Norway)

N=405, 40 (18–60) yrs, 44% women, back and neck pain, 4–12 weeks sick leave

Work-focused multi-disciplinary rehabilitation (12 mo)

Multi-disciplinary intervention and brief multi-disciplinary intervention

RTW 5 weeks

Netterström et al., 2013 [50] (Denmark)

N=199, 44 yrs, 82% women, work-related stress, mean sick leave 70 days

Stress treatment program (3 mo)

(1) UC with psychologist

(2) Wait list

RTW

Psychological symptoms

Workability

Degree of stress

Salomonsson et al., 2017, 2020 [51, 52] (Sweden)

N=211, 42 (21–64) yrs, 79% women, CMDs, 4–26 weeks sick leave

Work-focused CBT (12 mo)

(1) CBT

(2) Combination treatment

Days of sick leave

Psychiatric symptoms

QoL

Workability

Skagseth et al., 2019 [53] (Norway)

N=175, 45 (18–60) yrs, 77% women, CMDs, MSDs, mean sick leave 184 days

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation with additional workplace intervention (12 mo)

Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation

Days of sickness absence

Time until sustainable RTW 4 weeks

Volker et al., 2015 [54] (the Netherlands)

N=220, 44 yrs, 59% women, CMDs, median sick leave 70 days

E-health module with collaborative occupational health care (12 mo)

UC

Days of sickness absence until first RTW

Days of sickness absence until full RTW

Total number of days of sickness absence

Depression

Anxiety

Remission of psychological symptoms

  1. Legend: ACT acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT cognitive behavioral therapy, CMD common mental disorders, mo months, MSD musculoskeletal disorder, HRQoL health-related quality of life, UC usual care, yrs years