Quoi de neuf?

Veille scientifique - mars 2026

Incapacité et retour au travail

Purpose This study examined the experiences of immigrant workers in Alberta, Canada, following work-related injuries, with a focus on postinjury reporting and return-to-work challenges. Methods Twenty-seven injured immigrant employees from various industries were interviewed. Using an interpretive analysis approach, the study identified key factors shaping their experiences. Results Most participants were educationally overqualified for their roles and unfamiliar with high-risk, labor-intensive work environments. Findings revealed significant barriers to accessing information about injury reporting, workers' compensation, and available benefits. Participants also reported adverse interactions with employers and insurers, inadequate work accommodations, and inappropriate retraining options. Discrimination, language barriers, fear of job loss, and systemic discrimination exacerbated these challenges. Conclusion The findings highlight an urgent need for policy interventions, including occupational health and safety training for new immigrants, stronger employer accountability, culturally responsive return-to-work planning, and improved communication of workers' rights. These measures can enhance injury prevention and promote more equitable return-to-work outcomes for immigrant workers.

Purpose Disability can significantly impact a person's capacity to work and may lead to potentially life-threatening difficulties. Physiotherapists are well-positioned to address occupational issues for individuals with physical disabilities. However, it remains unclear to what extent Canadian physiotherapists integrate work-related factors in their clinical reasoning and practice. Objective: To gather Canadian physiotherapists' perceptions regarding the integration of work-related factors into their clinical practice. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was disseminated among physiotherapy professionals in Canada working with employed disabled individuals. Results A total of 191 eligible physiotherapists participated. Seventy percent (n = 134) of them reported regularly addressing work-related factors in their practice, with most feeling efficient in doing so. However, only 14% (n = 27) to 30% (n = 57) did often address more complex factors in their practice, such as the psychosocial factors and those that are related to workplace and on-site evaluations. Identified barriers include limited access to standardized assessment questionnaires. The development of Canadian-specific return-to-work guidelines is also perceived as an avenue to mitigate these barriers. Conclusion Canadian physiotherapists might be able to support employed disabled individuals, but they require enhanced support to fully integrate work-related factors into practice. Conclusions should be taken with caution as the results are self-reported.

Trouble musculosquelettique

Purpose Effective management of low back pain requires a biopsychosocial approach, integrating physical, psychological, social, and occupational elements. Although moderate evidence supports multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation and workplace interventions individually, the impact of combining these approaches for employees on sick leave due to low back pain remains unexplored. This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of biopsychosocial rehabilitation including workplace interventions for employees on sick leave due to low back pain. Methods Structured literature search were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, PsycINFO and supplemented with grey literature. Eligible studies were randomized or non-randomized controlled studies involving employees on partial or full sick leave due to non-specific low back pain in subacute or persistent phases. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment. Interventions were described using the TIDieR checklist, and certainty of evidence was graded according to GRADE. Results Four publications representing three randomized controlled trials with 346 employees included. Evidence quality was low to very low for pain, return to work, and sick leave, but moderate for improvement of disability at 12 months follow-up. Conclusion Limited available evidence suggests that incorporating workplace interventions into multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation may improve long-term disability for employees on sick leave due to low back pain. However, evidence for effects on pain, return to work and sick leave remains low or very low. This review identifies critical gaps in existing interventions and provides practice-based foundation, underscoring the need for further research to optimize rehabilitation for individuals with low back pain.

COVID longue

Purpose To identify and contextualize the determinants of long-term employment, health, and financial outcomes among individuals affected by Long COVID. Methods Sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design guided by the social-ecological model. Adults with Long COVID who were employed before infection and returned to work during the three-year follow-up were recruited through in-person and virtual outpatient venues: ResearchMatch, a Long COVID clinic, and a peer support group affiliated with a medical center. Participants completed validated surveys assessing factors influencing sustained employment. Stratified semi-structured interviews were then conducted to explore how these factors shaped sustained employment. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Results Among 79 participants who returned to work, 58% (n = 46) remained employed after a mean follow-up of 1,077 days. Those still employed reported reduced capacity and persistent uncertainty. Those no longer employed experienced worse physical health (p < 0.002), greater comorbidity burden (p = 0.01), more environmental barriers (p = 0.02), an increased financial hardship (p = 0.03). Qualitative analyses identified nonlinear return-to-work trajectories shaped by fluctuating and often invisible symptoms, alongside multilevel themes influencing employment sustainability, including misalignment between functional capacity and job demands, challenges obtaining workplace accommodations, stigma, limited policies, and labor market barriers. Conclusions Employment sustainability among individuals with Long COVID is shaped by complex, multilevel barriers, with job loss further worsening health and financial hardship. Investment in comprehensive Long COVID care, including multidisciplinary clinical services, vocational rehabilitation, clinician education, public awareness initiatives, employer training, and policy reform, is critical to support long-term recovery and employment sustainability.

Purpose Long-standing symptoms have been reported after COVID-19 infection, which can negatively impact daily life and work. The purpose of this study was therefore to describe work ability and explore factors associated with poor work ability among individuals with Post COVID-19 Condition (PCC). Methods We did an online survey among individuals with self-reported PCC. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore relationships between different factors associated with poor work ability. Results A total of 608 individuals answered the survey (mean age 47.3 years (SD 9.9), 87% women). The majority (85%) had not been hospitalized on account of a COVID-19 infection. Work ability was experienced as poor among 51%, but only 18% were on sick leave. In the final logistic regression model of four variables (Nagelkerke R Square 0.538, p < 0.001), mental fatigue was the most important factor for perceived poor work ability (Odds ratio 1.176; CI 95%: 1.123–1.232 p < 0.001, Nagelkerke R Square 0.406). Higher levels of dependency in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), greater physical fatigue, and impaired balance were also associated with self-reported poor work ability. Conclusion Perceived poor work ability is common among people with PCC. Several factors are associated with poor work ability in this population whereof mental fatigue seems to be strongest. Given the complexity of these conditions and the consequences in everyday life, it is crucial to implement individually tailored interventions.

Cancer

Purpose A better understanding of survivors' information and support needs could guide the design of more meaningful and effective interventions. This scoping review examines cancer survivors' needs in the context of cancer and work. Methods For this scoping review, we searched 5 databases for studies published in 2014-2024 reporting on cancer survivors' information and support needs related to cancer and work. Data were extracted and identified needs were qualitatively synthesized using the Arena model of work disability. Results Eighty-five studies from 22 countries were included, reporting on 26 themes concerning information needs and 56 themes concerning support needs. Within the personal system, survivors need information on how cancer and treatment affect work, and they need support through understanding from employers and colleagues. Within the workplace system, needs included information on return to work timing and phases, and support via flexible, personalized work adjustments. Within the healthcare system, survivors need information on cancer's impact on work (dis)ability, and support includes tailored advice and encouragement. Survivors emphasized the importance of work being proactively addressed in clinical care. Within the legislative and insurance systems, needs related to information on employee rights and support in navigating disability benefit procedures were identified. Conclusions The diversity in needs suggests that interventions should be tailored to individual cancer survivors, while considering broader contextual factors Future interventions should include multiple stakeholders, since needs exist throughout the systems of the Arena model. Implications for cancer survivors: There is a need for tailored interventions to support work participation of cancer survivors.

Purpose To explore how cancer survivors experience work-related well-being and aspects influencing their experience of it, one year after cancer treatment. Methods During the development of a work-related intervention, cancer survivors (n = 22, 67% was female, age md 56 years) were interviewed using purposive sampling one year post chemo-/radiotherapy for breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. Inductive content analysis was applied. Results The first year after treatment was described as a transition period in which cancer survivors strove to regain their general well-being but were able to experience work-related well-being even when their general well-being was limited. Their work-related experiences were characterised by a balance between personal readiness for work participation and workload. Daily life and working life were described as interdependent, requiring strategies to maintain balance. There was a vulnerability in handling the demands of work. Both general well-being and work-related well-being were promoted by the absence of side effects and the availability of guidance and responsiveness from caregivers and employers. Conclusion One year after treatment, cancer survivors considered participation in work life to be important for their well-being. At the same time, the need for enhanced preparation was expressed for balancing work and private life, managing remaining side effects, and navigating ongoing rehabilitation. Our results suggest that the interplay between personal preparedness and work-related stress is central to work-related well-being, highlighting the importance of addressing work-related aspects early in treatment. The findings also indicate that available resources in cancer rehabilitation are underused relative to patients' individual needs. Implications for cancer survivors: Cancer survivors desired a more holistic rehabilitation, as both general well-being and work-related well-being encompass life after illness as well as the process of returning to work. Strengthening and clearly defining the role of contact nurses regarding work-related issues, and establishing early collaboration between the cancer survivor, employer, and rehabilitation coordinators, can improve support for return to work. Further research is needed to investigate how these discussions and support efforts can be structured and how models and theories can be applied to contribute to increased focus on issues related to work-related well-being after cancer.

Purpose To synthesise qualitative evidence on registered nurses' experiences of returning to work after completion of primary cancer treatment and entry into the survivorship or rehabilitation phase. Methods Ten databases were searched from inception to 8 August 2025, with an updated search conducted on 22 February 2026. The review followed Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for qualitative evidence synthesis and was reported in accordance with ENTREQ guidelines. Methodological quality was appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Data were synthesised thematically, and confidence in synthesised findings was assessed using the JBI ConQual approach. Results Eight qualitative studies involving 96 nurse cancer survivors were included. Fifty-eight findings were synthesised into four overarching themes: (1) Emotional and Physical Journey, (2) Roles and Identities, (3) Professional Growth and Advocacy, and (4) Support and Work-Life Motivation. ConQual assessment indicated moderate confidence for three themes and low confidence for the Emotional and Physical Journey theme, reflecting limitations in methodological transparency and variability in evidentiary support. Conclusions Returning to work after cancer represents a complex and ongoing transition for nurses, involving physical adjustment, emotional regulation, identity reconstruction, and professional adaptation. Reintegration appears shaped by individual coping processes and organisational contexts. Implications for cancer survivors: Findings suggest that flexible work arrangements, psychological support, and context-sensitive workplace practices may facilitate more sustainable return-to-work experiences among nurse cancer survivors.

Purpose This study aims to explore the mediating role of resilience and perceived social support in the relationship between gratitude and the work reintegration adaptability of cancer patients in China. Methods Design: A cross-sectional and correlational study. Data collection and analysis: A total of 402 participants were collected from July to December 2023 from a tertiary hospital in Jiangsu Province, China, using a convenience sampling method. The survey utilised the General Information Questionnaire, the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (C-GQ-6), the Cancer Patient Return-to-Work Adaptation Scale, the resilience Scale (CD-RISD), and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) to collect data. The theoretical hypothesis was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis, with model fit corrections performed to examine the internal relationships and pathways among gratitude, resilience, perceived social support and return-to-work adaptability. Results Gratitude, resilience, and perceived social support were significantly correlated with work reintegration adaptability. Resilience and perceived social support independently mediate the relationship between gratitude and work reintegration adaptability, with mediation effects of 56.63% and 7.77%, respectively. Additionally, resilience and perceived social support fully mediate the relationship between gratitude and work reintegration adaptability, with a chain mediation effect of 35.60%. Conclusion Gratitude can affect cancer patients' return to work adaptation through resilience and perceived social support. Healthcare professionals should focus on the impact of gratitude on cancer patients' adaptability to work reintegration. Interventions targeting resilience and perceived social support should be developed to enhance patients' work reintegration and promote their overall recovery and social reintegration.

Purpose Cancer survivors often face significant challenges when returning to work, as they must manage both the long-term and fluctuating side effects of cancer treatment and the job demands. Supporting return-to-work and long-term job retention is essential for restoring normalcy, self-esteem, and social integration, and promoting inclusive employment after a cancer diagnosis. This scoping review maps the literature on working conditions that promote sustained job retention of cancer survivors, reviews the methodologies used, and identifies knowledge gaps. Methods A systematic search across four international databases was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies were included if they were published between 2014 and 2026, involved working-age individuals, focused on survivors and/or stakeholders, and addressed working conditions during return-to-work or job retention. The Eurofound's multidimensional job quality model was used to analyze working conditions and job accommodations post-diagnosis. Results Of 10979 records, 43 articles were included. Most did not explicitly refer to the concept of sustained job retention, focusing mainly on factors that hinder or facilitate return-to-work properly said and its quality. Although the main criteria of Eurofound's job quality model have been mentioned in studies, including work intensity, working hours, and working time, few addressed the issue of sustainable working conditions influencing long-term job retention. Conclusion The concept of long-term job retention among cancer survivors is rarely addressed, as is the sustainability of their working conditions. This can be explained by the short- or medium-term objectives of most studies.

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the manifestations of occupational anxiety in young thyroid cancer survivors prior to their return to work and to explore coping strategies and essential support upon their return to work. Methods Using purposive sampling, 13 young thyroid cancer survivors were selected for in‐depth interviews from July to October 2023. Colaizzi's seven‐step analysis method and NVivo software were used to analyze and organize the interview data. Results Three themes and 12 subthemes were summarized from the interview data: occupational anxiety caused by disease (fear of cancer recurrence, medication behavior anxiety, stigma of illness); manifestations of occupational anxiety (physical disruption, concerns about work intensity, dissatisfaction with the working environment, career disruption, career and job security disruption); and coping strategies (self‐regulation, self‐improvement, family support, peer support). Conclusion Medical professionals should recognize the impact of occupational anxiety on young thyroid cancer survivors before returning to work. They should accurately identify and understand the causes, manifestations, and coping methods to alleviate survivors' occupational anxiety prior to their return to work. By establishing vocational guidance, they can improve survivors' cognition regarding the benefits of returning to work and reduce their occupational anxiety.

Quoi de neuf?

Veille scientifique - mars 2026

Workplace Injuries Work Challenges Among Immigrants in Canada: Implications for Occupational Health Policy and Practice.

To what extent are work-related factors integrated into physiotherapy practice? Insights from a survey of Canadian physiotherapists.

Effectiveness of multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation including workplace interventions for employees on sick leave due to low back pain: A systematic review.

Long COVID and the Challenge of Long-Term Employment: An Ecological, Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Approach.

Work ability and associated factors among individuals with Post COVID-19 condition- a cross-sectional study.

A scoping review on information and support needs regarding cancer and work: part I - cancer survivors.

Returning to work is not enough for cancer survivors: vocational rehabilitation needs to consider work-related well-being.

Experiences of nurse cancer survivors returning to work: a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Mediating Effects of Resilience and Perceived Social Support Between Gratitude and the Adaptability to Return-To-Work in Cancer Patients.

Criteria of sustainable working conditions for cancer survivors: A scoping review.

Qualitative study on occupational anxiety among young thyroid cancer survivors before returning to work.