title: Occupational Functioning Scale (OFS)--an instrument for assessment of work ability in psychiatric disorders.
abstract: The aim was to present the content of the newly developed observer rating scale of work ability--The Occupational Functioning Scale (OFS)--and its basic psychometric properties. Psychiatric disorders cause functional impairment in several domains, including occupational functioning. The assessment of work-related functioning is often neglected in psychiatric research, partly due to a lack of reliable and valid instruments. The validity of OFS was evaluated by comparing it with other work ability measures (SAS-work, Work Ability Index, sickness absence) and to non-work-ability related measures [Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), Symptom Check List - General Symptomatic Index (SCL-90-GSI)] in 150 patients with depressive or anxiety disorders. Reliability was determined by 39 videotaped interviews rated by four judges. OFS showed excellent inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.91) and good criterion validity by being more strongly related to other scales of occupational functioning (mid R:rmid R: = 0.39-0.47) than to measures of general distress (SCL-90-GSI) and interpersonal problems (IIP)(mid R:rmid R: = 0.26 and 0.12). OFS is a simple, reliable and clinically meaningful instrument for assessment of work ability in depressive and anxiety disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jorma A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hannula
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lahtela
authors.forename: Aila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Järvikoski
authors.forename: Jouko K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011594:Psychometrics; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018582:Sick Leave; D012917:Social Adjustment