Predicting return to work after long-term sickness absence with subjective health complaints: a prospective cohort study.

Non-health-related factors seem to be more important than health-related factors in predicting return to work after long-term sickness absence. Receiving a work disability benefit and having negative expectations for return to work seem to complicate return to work most for workers with subjective health complaints. With respect to return to work predictors, workers with subjective health complaints do not differ from the reference group.