van Rijssen et al. BMC Public Health 2010, 10:666 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/666 Page 6 of 13 Table 2 Categories of claimants reported by physicians which form the basis for stereotypes and their characteristics Clear physical diagnosis Common claimant with ‘average’ behaviour - “Just normal claimants” - Rather relaxed - Say things the way they are Anxiousness Category Active coping with disabilities Motivated behaviour during interview Passive coping with disabilities Communication difficulties (practical limitations) Mental or unclear diagnosis Unmotivated behaviour during interview Hostile Characteristics - Remain active - Problem-solving ability - Take responsibility - Take control of their lives - Have adequate introspection - Search for opportunities to continue working or return to work - Think in possibilities - Justify the claims - Possible serious disabilities - Open - Honest - Straightforward - Willing to co-operate - Claim the disabilities they really have - Accept physician’s conclusions - Unambiguous physical disability - Easily understandable disability - Tense before interview - Tense during interview - Lack self-confidence - Insecure - Dependent - Uncommunicative - Negative or passive attitude - Lack motivation - External locus of control with regard to coping with their disabilities and continuing work or returning to work - See problems everywhere - Focus on what they can not do - Stress the negative - Suffer from their disabilities - Do not want to work - Feel that they are a victim - Possibly the result of a different cultural background - Hearing problems - Difficulties with speaking and understanding Dutch - Low level of intelligence - Intellectual disabilities - Psychiatric disorders - Personality disorders - Non-specific disorders - Disorders that are difficult to objectify and have an unclear cause (e.g. somatisation, chronic fatigue) - Claim many different disabilities and medical complaints - Inconsistent disabilities - Physical claim, but mental disabilities - Uncommunicative - Elusive - Silent - Passive and uninformed - Dependent - Claim many disabilities - Unwilling to co-operate - Do not say anything spontaneously - Look for confrontations - Intimidating - Threatening - Aggressive (verbally or physically) - Put physician in inferior position - Dominate interview (verbally or physically) - Might “explode” when disagreeing