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Int Arch Occup Environ Health (2010) 83:595605 DOI 10.1007/s00420-010-0506-6
REVIEW ARTICLE
Illness perceptions and work participation: a systematic review
J. L. Hoving M. van der Meer A. Y. Volkova
M. H. W. Frings-Dresen
Received: 31 July 2009 / Accepted: 14 January 2010 / Published online: 4 February 2010 The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
AbstractPurpose Self-regulatory processes play an important role in mediating between the disease and the health outcomes, and potentially also work outcomes. This systematic review aims to explore the relationship between illness perceptions and work participation in patients with somatic diseases and complaints.
Methods The bibliographic databases Medline, PsycINFO and Embase were searched from inception to March 2008. Included were cross-sectional or longitudinal studies, patients with somatic diseases or complaints, illness perceptions based on at least four dimensions of the common sense model of self-regulation, and work participation. Results Two longitudinal and two cross-sectional studies selected for this review report statistically signicant ndings for one or more illness perception dimensions in patients with various complaints and illnesses, although some dimensions are signicant in one study but not in another. Overall, non-working patients perceived more serious consequences, expected their illness to last a longer time, and reported more symptoms and more emotional responses as a result of their illness. Alternatively, working patients had a stronger belief in the controllability of their condition and a better understanding of their disease. Conclusions The limited number of studies in this review suggests that illness perceptions play a role in the work participation of patients with somatic diseases or
complaints, although it is not clear how strong this relationship is and which illness perception dimensions are most useful. Identifying individuals with maladaptive illness perceptions and targeting interventions toward changing these perceptions are promising developments in improving work participation.
Keywords Illness perceptions Self-regulation
return to work Work participation Employment
Somatic complaints
Introduction
For most people, and for most patients with a disease, work remains an important part of life. However, research consistently nds that due to disease, a segment of the patient population does not return to work. The consequences of work disability for patients with chronic diseases include nancial difculties, increased social isolation, decreased condence and self-esteem and stress. Moreover, it...