Return to work after acquired brain injury

In the Netherlands, every year about 60,000 people are registered in hospitals due to non-progressive acquired brain injury (ABI). Due to the multiple domain consequences, return to work (RTW) after ABI is not always self-evident. The aims of the PhD project were A) to provide insight into the process of RTW after ABI; and B) to study the possibilities of supporting the RTW process of people with ABI during rehabilitation.
With regard to the first aim, it is concluded that about 40% of the people who were working before ABI are able to return to work within two years, and that a complex interaction between different factors influences the RTW process. Support from the employer, colleagues, occupational physician, and occupational specialist is important during the RTW process.
In the thesis, two interventions of vocational rehabilitation were described: the Early Vocational Rehabilitation (EVR) intervention and the Late Vocational Rehabilitation (LVR) intervention. The LVR intervention had already been implemented in one Dutch rehabilitation centre. The EVR intervention is newly developed and its implementation in the ABI unit of a rehabilitation center is evaluated. It is concluded that it is possible to implement the EVR intervention in an existing rehabilitation process. When comparing the results of the EVR intervention and the LVR intervention, it is concluded that both interventions are suitable for supporting people with ABI during their RTW process. The differences between the interventions do not lead to differences in RTW outcome, satisfaction of the actors, or costs.