AIMS: To compare an innovative activating intervention with "care as usual" (control group) for the guidance of employees on sickness leave because of an @entity2166 . It was hypothesised that the intervention would be more effective than care as usual in lowering the intensity of symptoms, increasing psychological resources, and decreasing sickness leave duration. METHODS: A prospective, cluster randomised controlled trial was carried out with 192 @entity1 on first sickness leave for an @entity2166 . Symptom intensity, sickness duration, and return to work rates were measured at 3 months and 12 months. Analyses were performed on an intention to treat basis. RESULTS: At 3 months, significantly more @entity1 in the intervention group had returned to work compared with the control group. At 12 months all @entity1 had returned to work, but sickness leave was shorter in the intervention group than in the control group. The recurrence rate was lower in the intervention group. There were no differences between the two study groups with regard to the @entity1109 . At baseline, symptom intensity was higher in the @entity1 than in a normal reference population, but decreased over time in a similar manner in both groups to approximately normal levels. CONCLUSION: The experimental intervention for @entity2166 was successful in shortening sick leave duration, mainly by decreasing long term absenteeism.

Reducing long term sickness absence by an activating intervention in XXXX : a cluster randomised controlled design.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1109 :: ('MESH:D012678', 'Disease') :: ['decrease of symptoms'] @entity2166 :: ('MESH:D000275', 'Disease') :: ['adjustment disorder', 'adjustment disorders']
@entity2166 :: (MESH:D000275,Disease) :: ['adjustment disorders']
