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

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

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

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