Combined cognitive and vocational rehabilitation after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

This thesis describes a combined cognitive and vocational intervention aimed at improving work participation after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aims of this thesis were to describe a sample of patients who sought medical rehabilitation due to post-concussive symptoms 8–12 weeks after injury, to evaluate the effect of a combined cognitive and vocational intervention on work participation and examine the predictive value of work-related factors on work participation. The study included 116 participant who were still sick listed due to post-concussive symptoms 8–12 weeks after TBI. Sixty patients were randomized to the combined cognitive and vocational intervention, while 56 received follow-up at a specialized TBI rehabilitation outpatient clinic. Significantly more patients in the combined cognitive and vocational group had returned to work after 3 months. This thesis also demonstrated that work-related factors, as psychosocial work environment and sector of employment, predicted work participation after 1 year. This highlights the importance of considering work-related factors when aiming to return to work after a mild-to-moderate TBI.