Hl. Rosomoff et al., DO CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR PREINJURY JOBS DIFFER AS A FUNCTION OF WORKER COMPENSATION AND NON-WORKER COMPENSATION STATUS .2., The Clinical journal of pain, 11(4), 1995, pp. 279-286
Objectives: (1) To demonstrate a relationship between intent to return
to preinjury job and preinjury job perceptions about that job; and (2
) to demonstrate that worker compensation chronic pain patients (WC CP
Ps) would be more likely than non-worker compensation chronic pain pat
ients (NWC CPPs) not to intend to return to a preinjury type of job be
cause of preinjury job perceptions. Study Design: The relationship bet
ween preinjury job perceptions and intent to return to the preinjury j
ob was investigated and compared between worker compensation (WC) and
nonworker compensation (NWC) chronic pain patients (CPPs). Within the
WC and NWC groups CPPs not intending to return to their preinjury type
of work were compared to those CPPs intending to return on preinjury
job perception. Background Data: Compensation status, being a WC CPPs
or being a non-WC CPPs, has been claimed to be predictive or not predi
ctive of return to work post pain treatment. These studies have, howev
er, ignored the preinjury job stress perception variable as an area of
research. Methods: WC CPPs were age- and sex-matched to NWC CPPs and
statistically compared on their responses to rating scale and yes/no q
uestionnaires for intent to return to work and perceived preinjury job
stress. In a second analysis, both the WC and NWC groups were divided
according to their intent to return to work and statistically compare
d on their responses to these questionnaires. Results: Both male and f
emale WC CPPs were less likely than their counterparts to intend to re
turn to their preinjury job. Both WC and NWC were found to complain of
preinjury job complaints, and these complaints were found to differ b
etween WC and NWC CPPs. An association between intent not to return to
work and the perceptions of preinjury job dissatisfaction and job dis
like was found for male and female WC CPPs and for male and female NWC
CPPs. Conclusions: There may be a relationship between some preinjury
job perceptions and intent to return to the preinjury type of work in
some groups of CPPs. However, a specific relationship between WC stat
us, intent not to return to the preinjury type of work, and preinjury
job perceptions in comparison to NWC CPPs could not be demonstrated.