title: Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy and Actual Return to Work Among Long-Term Sick-Listed Employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering the costs incurred by sickness absence and the implications for the workers' quality of life, a fast return to work (RTW) is important. Self-efficacy (SE) seems to be an important predictor of RTW for employees with mental health problems. The predictive value of return-to-work self-efficacy (RTW-SE) has not been examined in employees on long-term sickness absence due to any cause. The aim of this study is to investigate whether RTW-SE is a predictor of time to RTW in long-term sick-listed employees with all-cause sickness absence. Furthermore, the relative contribution of RTW-SE in predicting RTW will be examined compared to health-related, job-related and personal factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a longitudinal study, sick-listed employees who were currently on sick leave for more than 4 weeks filled out a self-report questionnaire. Demographics, health-related, personal, and job-related factors, and RTW-SE were measured. Employees were followed for 2 years to determine the duration until full RTW. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with time to RTW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected from 493 sick-listed employees. RTW-SE was a significant predictor of RTW. In a multivariate model, low RTW-SE, the thought of not being able to work while having symptoms (illness behaviour) and having chronic medical conditions were predictors of a longer duration until RTW.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When guiding long-term sick-listed employees, it is important to focus on factors such as SE and illness behaviour, instead of just focusing on the symptoms of the sick-listed employee.
authors.affiliation: Trimbos-institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, PO Box 725, 3500 AS, Utrecht, The Netherlands, dvolker@trimbos.nl.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Volker
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zijlstra-Vlasveld
authors.forename: E P M
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Brouwers
authors.forename: A G C
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van Lomwel
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van der Feltz-Cornelis
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D062707:Return to Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors