Effect of Cognitive Behavioural Stress Management on Return-to-Work Amongst Sick-Listed Employees.

The study is quasi-experimental, not randomized, so the groups were not randomly assigned, which introduces potential selection bias. The control group was retrospectively selected from historical records (2011-2012) and may have differed in motivation or attitude towards treatment compared to the intervention group who actively participated. The national registry only captures long-term sick leave (after 30 days), so short-term absences were not included, potentially underestimating total sick leave duration. There was an overrepresentation of women in the study sample, which limits generalizability to male-dominated populations. Workplace contextual factors and organizational support were not measured, so it is unclear how these might have influenced the outcomes.

The study was funded by the University of Southern Denmark. No other conflicts of interest were declared.

Do not assume the CBT intervention caused an immediate reduction in sick leave. The study found no significant difference between the groups during the first 6 months, with benefits appearing only in later time windows. This delay may be partly due to waiting times for the group programme to start.