The Relation Between Catastrophizing and Occupational Disability in Individuals with Major Depression: Concurrent and Prospective Associations

Background Catastrophic thinking has been associated with occupational disability in individuals with debilitating pain conditions. The relation between catastrophic thinking and occupational disability has not been previously examined in individuals with debilitating mental health conditions. The present study examined the relation between catastrophic thinking and occupational disability in individuals with major depression. Methods The study sample consisted of 80 work-disabled individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who were referred to an occupational rehabilitation service. Participants completed measures of depressive symptom severity, catastrophic thinking and occupational disability at admission and termination of a rehabilitation intervention. Return-to-work outcomes were assessed 1 month following the termination of the rehabilitation intervention. Results Cross-sectional analyses of admission data revealed that catastrophic thinking contributed significant variance to the prediction of self-reported occupational disability, beyond the variance accounted for by depressive symptom severity. Prospective analyses revealed that reductions in catastrophic thinking predicted successful return to work following the rehabilitation intervention, beyond the variance accounted for by reductions in depressive symptom severity. Conclusions The findings suggest that catastrophic thinking is a determinant of occupational disability in individuals with major depressive disorder. The findings further suggest that interventions designed to reduce catastrophic thinking might promote occupational re-integration in individuals with debilitating mental health conditions.