'You don't want to be seen as a burden' experiences of working with early inflammatory arthritis: a qualitative study.

The scale of early work disability appears to be higher than previously understood. Although early medical intervention has improved disease management, significant work-based restrictions requiring intervention remain. Internalised and invisible work-related anxieties present early in the disease and need to be acknowledged and addressed by healthcare providers.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONEarly inflammatory arthritis causes significant challenges in work ability, and early work-based participation restrictions are present despite early use of drug therapy.Assessment of the client's subjective experience, including understanding the invisible burden, is an important aspect in determining the types of work interventions required.Disclosure of diagnosis in the work environment is associated with anxiety and fear, however, disclosure is influential in supporting capacity to retain work participation and should be included in work interventions.Routine healthcare should include early interventions to address work-based restrictions and supporting work retention to avoid work disability.