Work-specific cognitive symptoms and the role of work characteristics, fatigue and depressive symptoms in cancer patients during 18 months post return to work
Menée aux Pays-Bas auprès de 378 patients atteints de divers types de cancers, cette étude analyse l'évolution, pendant les 18 mois suivant le retour au travail, de leurs symptômes cognitifs, de leur fatigue et de leurs symptômes dépressifs en lien avec le contexte professionnel
Objective : Cancer patients can experience work‐specific cognitive symptoms post return to work (RTW). The study aims to: 1) describe the course of work‐specific cognitive symptoms in the first 18 months post RTW, and 2) examine the associations of work characteristics, fatigue and depressive symptoms with work‐specific cognitive symptoms over time. Methods : This study used data from the 18‐months longitudinal “Work Life after Cancer” cohort. The Cognitive Symptom Checklist‐Work, Dutch Version (CSC‐W DV) was used to measure work‐specific cognitive symptoms. Linear mixed models were performed to examine the course of work‐specific cognitive symptoms during 18 months follow‐up; linear regression analyses with generalised estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine associations over time. Results : Working cancer patients diagnosed with different cancer types were included (n=378). Work‐specific cognitive symptoms were stable over 18 months. At baseline, cancer patients reported more working memory symptoms (M=31.9, CI=23.1, 26.4) compared to executive function symptoms (M=19.3; CI=17.6, 20.9). Cancer patients holding a job with both manual and non‐manual tasks reported less work‐specific cognitive symptoms (unstandardized regression coefficient b=‐4.80; CI=‐7.76, ‐1.83) over time, compared to cancer patients with a non‐manual job. Over time, higher depressive symptoms were related to experiencing more overall work‐specific cognitive symptoms (b=1.27; CI=1.00, 1.55) and a higher fatigue score was related to more working memory symptoms (b=0.13; CI=0.04, 0.23). Conclusions : Job type should be considered when looking at work‐specific cognitive symptoms over time in working cancer patients. To reduce work‐specific cognitive symptoms, interventions targeted at fatigue and depressive symptoms might be promising.