abstract: 'Purpose. To review literature on return to work (RTW) and employment in

  persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), and present employment rates,

  factors influencing employment, and interventions aimed at helping

  people with SCI to obtain and sustain productive work.

  Methods. A systematic review for 2000-2006 was carried out in

  PubMed/Medline, AMED, (ISI) Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and

  Sociological abstracts database. The keywords `spinal cord injuries'',

  `spinal cord disorder'', `spinal cord lesion'' or `spinal cord disease''

  were cross-indexed with `employment'', `return to work'', `occupation'' or

  `vocational''.

  Results. Out of approximately 270 hits, 110 references were used, plus

  13 more found elsewhere. Among individuals with SCI working at the time

  of injury 21 - 67 \% returned to work after injury. RTW was higher in

  persons injured at a younger age, had less severe injuries and higher

  functional independence. Employment rate improved with time after SCI.

  Persons with SCI employed ranged from 11.5\% to 74\%. Individuals who

  sustained SCI during childhood or adolescence had higher adult

  employment rates. Most common reported barriers to employment were

  problems with transportation, health and physical limitations, lack of

  work experience, education or training, physical or architectural

  barriers, discrimination by employers, and loss of benefits. Individuals

  with SCI discontinue working at younger age.

  Conclusions. This review confirmed low employment rates after SCI.

  Future research should explore interventions aimed at helping people

  with SCI to obtain and sustain productive work.'
affiliation: 'Lidal, IB (Corresponding Author), Sunnaas Rehabil Hosp, Dept Res, N-1450
  Nesoddtangen, Norway.

  Sunnaas Rehabil Hosp, Dept Res, N-1450 Nesoddtangen, Norway.

  Copenhagen Univ Hosp, Ctr Neurosci, Clin Spinal Cord Injuries, Rigshosp, Copenhagen,
  Denmark.'
author: Lidal, Ingeborg Beate and Huynh, Tuan Khai and Biering-Sorensen, Fin
author-email: ingeborg.lidal@sunnaas.no
author_list:
- family: Lidal
  given: Ingeborg Beate
- family: Huynh
  given: Tuan Khai
- family: Biering-Sorensen
  given: Fin
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/09638280701320839
eissn: 1464-5165
files: []
issn: 0963-8288
journal: DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
keywords: 'spinal cord injuries; spinal cord lesion; spinal cord disorder;

  employment; return to work; occupation; vocational'
keywords-plus: 'QUALITY-OF-LIFE; COMMUNITY INTEGRATION; ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY; EMPLOYMENT

  OUTCOMES; INDIVIDUALS; PEOPLE; SATISFACTION; PARTICIPATION;

  REHABILITATION; HEALTH'
language: English
month: SEP 15
number: '17'
number-of-cited-references: '123'
orcid-numbers: 'Lidal, Ingeborg Beate/0000-0003-1534-5178

  Biering-Sorensen, Fin/0000-0002-2186-0144'
pages: 1341-1375
papis_id: 0b9f679b5acfef7282552cca40cdea0a
ref: Lidal2007returnwork
tags:
- review
times-cited: '187'
title: 'Return to work following spinal cord injury: A review'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000249558600005
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '28'
volume: '29'
web-of-science-categories: Rehabilitation
year: '2007'