title: Effects of a multidisciplinary stress treatment programme on patient return to work rate and symptom reduction: results from a randomised, wait-list controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the efficacy of a multidisciplinary stress treatment programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practitioners referred 198 employed patients on sick leave with symptoms of persistent work-related stress. Using a waitlisted randomised controlled trial design, the participants were randomly divided into the following three groups: the intervention group (IG, 69 participants); treatment-as-usual control group (TAUCG, 71 participants), which received 12 consultations with a psychologist, and the waitlisted control group (WLCG, 58 participants). The stress treatment intervention consisted of nine 1-hour sessions conducted over 3 months. The goals of the sessions were the following: (1) identifying relevant stressors; (2) changing the participant's coping strategies; (3) adjusting the participant's workload and tasks, and (4) improving workplace dialogue. Each participant also attended a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course for 2 h a week over 8 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IG and TAUCG showed significantly greater symptom level (Symptom Check List 92) reductions compared to the WLCG. Regarding the return to work (RTW) rate, 67% of participants in the IG returned to full-time work after treatment, which was a significantly higher rate than in the TAUCG (36%) and WLCG (24%). Significantly more participants in the IG (97%) increased their working hours during treatment compared with the participants in the control groups, TAUCG (71%) and WLCG (64%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stress treatment programme--a combination of work place-focused psychotherapy and MBSR--significantly reduced stress symptom levels and increased RTW rates compared with the WLCG and TAUCG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. bnet0002@bbh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Netterstrøm
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Friebel
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ladegaard
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011613:Psychotherapy; D062707:Return to Work / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018582:Sick Leave; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology