Prevalence and obstacles to return to work three months after ICU discharge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2317-3378rec.2026.e6743Keywords:
Intensive Care Units, Critical Care, Return to Work, Occupational HealthAbstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of return to work three months after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) and characterize barriers associated with this return. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, nested within a prospective cohort, was conducted between 2022 and 2023 at a large public hospital in the countryside of Bahia, Brazil, including adults assessed three months after ICU discharge. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, along with the Obstacles to Return to Work Questionnaire (ORTWQ). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS and R, including descriptive and inferential analyses. RESULTS: Among the 52 participants, most were male (76.9%), identified as Black or mixed-race (96.0%), had medical admissions (52.1%), and were classified as critically ill (65%). The prevalence of return to work three months after ICU discharge was 19.2%. Among those who remained away from work, 43.9% reported health-related reasons. The main perceived barriers were increased pain and the need for rest, whereas positive interpersonal relationships and positive self-perception were identified as favorable aspects. CONCLUSION: Three months after ICU discharge, the prevalence of return to work was low. ICU survivors face challenges primarily in the physical domain but benefit from favorable social, family, and occupational support.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Vanessa Marcela Lima dos Santos, Kátia Santana Freitas, Aloísio Machado da Silva Filho, Monneglesia Santana Lopes Cardoso, Pollyana Pereira Portela, Vivian Manuela Lima dos Santos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
