Level of distress among workers undergoing work rehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders.

INTRODUCTION

Many studies have documented the high distress rates and their correlates among individuals experiencing persistent pain due to a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). However, few have adopted a biopsychosocial perspective to understand this issue.

OBJECTIVE

The first objective of this study was to examine workers' distress levels before they start work rehabilitation and to compare it to those in a healthy population. The second objective was to assess the correlations between distress and biopsychosocial factors.

METHODS

The participants were 228 workers on sick leave due to persistent pain from an MSD and who were referred to an interdisciplinary work rehabilitation program.

RESULTS

The workers had very high distress levels compared to normative data. Also, the results of a multiple regression showed that duration of absence, high occupational stress, perception of disability, and fear of movement and (re)injury were significantly associated with distress.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the importance of considering distress not only as a predictor of work disability, but as an independent outcome measure. This shift of paradigm could provide a more comprehensive approach in the understanding of workers' disability.