Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Obstacles to returning to work with chronic pain : in-depth interviews with people who are off work due to chronic pain and employers

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Grant, Mary, Rees, Sophie, Underwood, Martin and Froud, Robert J. (2019) Obstacles to returning to work with chronic pain : in-depth interviews with people who are off work due to chronic pain and employers. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 20 (1). 486. doi:10.1186/s12891-019-2877-5

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP-obstacles-returning-work-chronic-pain-in-depth-interviews-Grant-2019.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Download (602Kb) | Preview
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-2877-5

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Background:
The global burden of chronic pain is growing with implications for both an ageing workforce and employers. Many obstacles are faced by people with chronic pain in finding employment and returning to work after a period of absence. Few studies have explored obstacles to return-to-work (RTW) from workers’ and employers’ perspectives. Here we explore views of both people in pain and employers about challenges to returning to work of people who are off work with chronic pain.

Methods:
We did individual semi-structured interviews with people who were off work (unemployed or off sick) with chronic pain recruited from National Health Service (NHS) pain services and employment services, and employers from small, medium, and large public or private sector organisations. We analysed data using the Framework method.

Results:
We interviewed 15 people off work with chronic pain and 10 employers. Obstacles to RTW for people with chronic pain spanned psychological, pain related, financial and economic, educational, and work-related domains. Employers were concerned about potential attitudinal obstacles, absence, ability of people with chronic pain to fulfil the job requirements, and the implications for workplace relationships. Views on disclosure of the pain condition were conflicting with more than half employers wanting early full disclosure and two-thirds of people with chronic pain declaring they would not disclose for fear of not getting a job or losing a job. Both employers and people with chronic pain thought that lack of confidence was an important obstacle. Changes to the job or work conditions (e.g. making reasonable adjustments, phased return, working from home or redeployment) were seen by both groups as facilitators. People with chronic pain wanted help in preparing to RTW, education for managers about pain and supportive working relationships.

Conclusions:
People with chronic pain and employers may think differently in terms of perceptions of obstacles to RTW. Views appeared disparate in relation to disclosure of pain and when this needs to occur. They appeared to have more in common regarding opinions about how to facilitate successful RTW. Increased understanding of both perspectives may be used to inform the development of improved RTW interventions.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
R Medicine > RB Pathology
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Chronic pain -- Economic aspects -- Research, Employees -- Health aspects, Qualitative research -- Methodology
Journal or Publication Title: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Publisher: Biomed central
ISSN: 1471-2474
Official Date: 27 October 2019
Dates:
DateEvent
27 October 2019Published
2 October 2019Accepted
Volume: 20
Number: 1
Article Number: 486
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-019-2877-5
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
RISE Project ; 9401Arthritis Research UKhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000341

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us