Mediation Analysis of the Social Isolation Between Stigma and Return-To-Work Readiness Among Young and Middle-Aged Patients With Stroke in China.
Shuyi Zhang, Yuhui Fang, Hangjia Tu and 1 others
PMID 40277040WHAT IT FOUND
Among 154 young and middle-aged stroke survivors, higher stigma was linked to more social isolation, and social isolation was linked to lower readiness to return to work.
These are associations, not proof that reducing stigma improves work outcomes.
Key findings
01Higher stigma was associated with greater social isolation (coefficient 0.677, p < 0.000).
02Social isolation was reported to mediate stigma's association with return-to-work readiness, with an indirect effect of -0.207 and 59.67% of the total effect attributed to this pathway.
03Most participants had high return-to-work readiness (64.9%), while mean social isolation was 32.71 on a 15 to 60 scale and mean stigma was 35.10 on a 16 to 80 scale.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All participants came from one hospital's neurology rehabilitation clinic and were recruited by convenience sampling, so results may not apply to other stroke patients. The study measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that stigma or social isolation causes lower work readiness. It included only patients aged 18 to 60 years (excluding 60 years) who could complete questionnaires; severe cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorders, severe organ failure, and inability to communicate were excluded. Differences in retirement age between men and women in China may confound the work-readiness findings. Return-to-work readiness was self-reported, and actual work outcomes were not followed over time.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. No funding statement is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reducing stigma or social isolation will improve return-to-work readiness. This was a cross-sectional survey of associations, not a randomised trial of an intervention.