title: Does expecting mean achieving? The association between expecting to return to work and recovery in whiplash associated disorders: a population-based prospective cohort study.
abstract: To determine the association between expectations to return to work and self-assessed recovery. Positive expectations predict better outcomes in many health conditions, but to date the relationship between expecting to return to work after traffic-related whiplash-associated disorders and actual recovery has not been reported. We assessed early expectations for return to work in a cohort of 2,335 individuals with traffic-related whiplash injury to the neck. Using multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis we assessed the association between return to work expectations and self-perceived recovery during the first year following the event. After adjusting for the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, initial pain and symptoms, post-crash mood, prior health status and collision-related factors, those who expected to return to work reported global recovery 42% more quickly than those who did not have positive expectations (HRR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.26-1.60). Knowledge of return to work expectation provides an important prognostic tool to clinicians for recovery.
authors.affiliation: Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 4075 RTF, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E1. ozegovic@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozegovic
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: David Cassidy