Returning to Work After Stress-Related Sick Leave: An Effectiveness Trial of Work-Focused Treatments in Primary Care (ReWork)

Karolinska Institute

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Adjustment Disorder With Work Inhibition; Clinical Burnout; Exhaustion Disorder

Treatments: Other: Standard Care (in control arm); Behavioral: Workfocused CBT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07079709

2025-01713-01

2023-01487 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if work-focused cognitive behaviour (WCBT) works to treat patients on sick leave due to non-traumatic long-term stress-related disorders. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is WCBT more effective in improving work ability compared to standard care?
• Do participants in WCBT have less sick leave days than those in standard care?
• Is WCBT more effective in improving health outcomes and function than standard care?
• Is WCBT a more cost-effective treatment option than standard care? Researchers will compare WCBT to standad care to see if there are differences in effect.

Participants will participate in:

• WCBT
• Standard care

Enrollment: 204 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. be on sick leave at least 50%
2. be diagnosed with a primary diagnosis adjustment disorder (F43.2-F.43.9) including exhaustion disorder (F43.8A)
3. be of working age (18-60 years)
4. be able to understand verbal and written Swedish or English
5. give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

1. other psychiatric conditions that require prioritization for immediate or simultaneous treatment: specifically, a current diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or organic mental disorder; current high risk of suicide; or recent (within 3 months) history of substance use disorder)
2. other ongoing or recent (within 6 months) psychological treatment for stress-related disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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204 participants in 2 patient groups

WCBT

Experimental group

Description:

Work-focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Treatment:

Behavioral: Workfocused CBT

Standard Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Standard Care is defined as care by the sick leave prescribing physician and the rehab coordinator. Other interventions such as psychological treatment, physiotherapy etc. may also be included in this arm.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Care (in control arm)