Establishing General Working Population Norms for the Cognitive Symptom Checklist-Work.
Johanna K Ehrenstein, Saskia F A Duijts, Sander K R van Zon and 3 others
PMID 36935459WHAT IT FOUND
Working adults in the Netherlands reported an average score of 25.1 on a 0-100 scale for work-related cognitive symptoms.
Scores were stable across age groups except for the youngest adults, who reported more symptoms. These norms help therapists judge if a cancer survivor's self-reported cognitive complaints are unusual.
Key findings
01The general working population had an average CSC-W total score of 25.1 on a 0-100 scale, with memory symptoms scoring higher than executive function symptoms.
02Cognitive symptom scores were relatively stable across age and sex groups, although respondents aged 18-39 reported significantly higher symptoms than older groups.
03Higher cognitive symptom scores were associated with having a long-term illness, high depressive symptoms, high fatigue, and with working in either manual-only or non-manual-only roles rather than a mix of both.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study established norms for the general working population, not specifically for cancer survivors, so it provides a comparison baseline rather than a cancer-specific cutoff. Individuals with low educational attainment were underrepresented in the sample, particularly in the oldest age group, though the data were weighted to correct for this. The data are specific to the Dutch working population and may not apply directly to other countries with different work contexts or social security systems.
Declared interests
The study was supported by a University of Groningen Ph.D. Scholarship.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these general population norms as a diagnostic cutoff for cancer-related cognitive impairment. These scores represent the average experience of healthy working adults, and a cancer survivor with a score near the average may still have significant cognitive difficulties relative to their own pre-diagnosis baseline.