Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population
Variable | Intervention group (n = 215) | Control group (n = 215) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean/median/n | SD/IQR/ % | Mean/median/n | SD/IQR/ % | |
Gender (female), n | 154 | 49.8 | 155 | 50.2 |
Age (years), mean | 43.5 | 10.0 | 43.9 | 9.9 |
Length of sickness absence until randomization (days), mean | 56.4 | 22.1 | 57.2 | 18.3 |
Highest level of education, n | ||||
Primary school or high school | 40 | 18.6 | 52 | 24.2 |
<3 years | 105 | 48.8 | 90 | 41.9 |
>3 years | 70 | 32.6 | 73 | 34.0 |
Employment, n | ||||
Student | 16 | 7.4 | 6 | 2.8 |
Unemployed | 37 | 17.2 | 33 | 15.4 |
Unskilled worker | 33 | 15.3 | 34 | 15.8 |
Basic skilled worker | 29 | 13.5 | 26 | 12.1 |
Wage-earning and salaried employees | 86 | 40.0 | 104 | 48.4 |
Self-employed | 11 | 5.1 | 10 | 4.7 |
Don’t know / not available | 3 | 1.4 | 2 | 0.9 |
Reason for sickness absence, n a | ||||
Anxiety | 54 | 25.1 | 46 | 21.4 |
Depression | 85 | 39.5 | 91 | 42.3 |
Other mental illness | 12 | 5.6 | 8 | 3.7 |
Stress and burnout | 122 | 56.7 | 115 | 53.5 |
Psychosocial working environment | 51 | 23.7 | 49 | 22.8 |
Musculoskeletal disorders | 43 | 20.0 | 53 | 24.7 |
Other reasons | 79 | 36.7 | 74 | 34.4 |
Number of symptoms (SCL-8 AD), mean | 9.8 | 2.3 | 9.8 | 2.4 |
Recovery expectations, n | ||||
0–50 % or don’t know/not available | 81 | 37.7 | 90 | 41.9 |
60–90 % | 67 | 31.2 | 53 | 24.7 |
100 % | 67 | 31.2 | 72 | 33.5 |
Sick-leave, n | ||||
Full-time sick leave | 214* | 99.5 | 208* | 96.7 |
Part-time sick leave | 1 | 0.5 | 7 | 3.3 |
Locus of control, medianb | ||||
Internal | 22.0* | 18.0–26.0 | 20.0* | 15.0–25.0 |
Chance | 14.0 | 11.0–18.0 | 14.5 | 11.0–18.0 |
Doctor | 12.0 | 10.0–14.0. | 12.0 | 10.0–14.0 |
Other people | 11.0 | 9.0–13.0 | 11.0 | 8.0–13.0 |
Psychological symptoms, medianb | ||||
Somatization | 1.1 | 0.6–1.7 | 1.2 | 0.7–1.8 |
Anxiety | 1.2 | 0.6–1.8 | 1.2 | 0.6–1.8 |
Interpersonal sensitivity | 1.2 | 0.8–1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8–2.0 |
Depression | 1.8 | 1.2–2.5 | 1.9 | 1.2–2.6 |
Phobic anxiety | 0.4 | 0.1–0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1–1.1 |
Obsessive compulsive | 1.6 | 1.0–2.3 | 1.7 | 1.0–2.3 |
Health-related QoL, medianb | ||||
Vitality (VT) | 30.0 | 20.0–40.0 | 30.0 | 15.0–45.0 |
Social functioning (SF) | 62.5 | 37.5–87.5 | 62.5 | 37.5–87.5 |
Role limitations due to emotional problems (RE) | 33.3 | 0.0–33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0–33.3 |
Mental health | 48.0 | 36.0–60.0 | 48.0 | 36.0–56.0 |
General health, n | ||||
Poor | 101 | 54.0 | 101 | 56.1 |
Good | 86 | 46.0 | 79 | 43.9 |