Outcomes of an interdisciplinary return to work intervention including occupational therapy for mood and adjustment disorders: A single-arm clinical trial.
Sachie Tanaka, Ryunosuke Iwai Kuge, Miku Nakano and 7 others
PMID 36278381WHAT IT FOUND
Thirty people with mood or adjustment disorders completed a three-month interdisciplinary return-to-work program led by occupational therapists.
Full-time return rates rose from 6.7% at three months to 82.6% at two years, alongside improved readiness and function.
Key findings
01The full-time return-to-work ratio increased from 6.7% at three months to 82.6% at 24 months.
02Participants showed significant improvements in global functioning, cognitive composite scores, and readiness to return to work.
03The intervention combined group learning with individual occupational therapy sessions that focused on workplace environment adjustment and personal coping strategies.
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
There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the outcomes were due to the intervention or natural recovery over time. The study was underpowered; it aimed for 34 participants but analyzed only 30 due to dropouts. The comparison to other studies was not statistically analyzed, making claims about superior long-term outcomes less reliable. The intervention was resource-intensive, involving multiple professionals and frequent sessions, which may limit its feasibility in other settings. Participants had to be already engaged in occupational therapy with high attendance before joining, potentially selecting for those more likely to succeed.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this program is superior to standard care or other return-to-work interventions. Without a control group, the high return-to-work rates could reflect natural recovery or selection bias rather than the specific effect of the occupational therapy-led intervention.