Hege R Eriksen

Høgskulen på Vestlandet | HVL

The Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress (CATS) offers formal and systematic definitions of the terms and concepts used in stress research. The stress response depends on acquired expectancies to the outcome of the stimulus and the available responses. The stress response itself is an alarm, an increase in arousal necessary for performance and ade...

This paper presents a cognitive activation theory of stress (CATS), with a formal system of systematic definitions. The term "stress" is used for four aspects of "stress", stress stimuli, stress experience, the non-specific, general stress response, and experience of the stress response. These four meanings may be measured separately. The stress re...

Background: Coping has traditionally been measured with inventories containing many items meant to identify specific coping strategies. An alternative is to develop a shorter inventory that focusses on coping expectancies which may determine the extent to which an individual attempts to cope actively. Purpose: This paper explores the usefulness...

Study design: A randomized controlled trial. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a tailored and manualized cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or nutritional supplements of seal oil and soy oil had any additional benefits over a brief cognitive intervention (BI) on return to work (RTW). Summary of background data: Brief inter...

The aim of this study is to present a complete scoring system for subjective health complaints (SHC) as they are experienced by the lay population. The scoring system records the complaints, and does not map attributions or medical diagnoses. In all, 1,219 subjects (323 men, 896 women) from various occupations were tested with a scoring system, the...

UNSTRUCTURED One-third or more of breast cancer survivors report stress and other psychological and physical complaints that can negatively impact quality of life. Psychosocial stress-management interventions, shown to mitigate the negative impact of these complaints, can now be delivered as accessible and convenient (for the patient and provider)...

The main purpose of this study was to explore how a primary school organized a week with outdoor education, and especially what characterized the outdoor swimming and water safety (SWS)-lessons. The SWS-lessons were part of the physical education (PE) program. Two teachers and one headmaster from a primary school participated in the study. Four day...

Aims: To develop a questionnaire to examine attitudes among employees and managers to include people with various health problems into their work group, and to test the questionnaire in one relevant population within the labour market. Methods: A questionnaire was developed through a process involving discussions in a scientific forum and pilot...

Purpose The objective of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive and emotional functioning and the number of days on health-related benefits such as sick leave, work assessment allowance and disability pension. We investigated whether cognitive and emotional functioning at the start of rehabilitation and the change from the...

Background Physical inactivity and chronic pain are both major public health concerns worldwide. Although the health benefits of regular physical exercise are well-documented, few large epidemiological studies have investigated the association between specific domains of physical exercise and chronic pain in young adults. We sought to investigate t...

Background: Physical inactivity and mental health problems are both major public health concerns worldwide. Although several studies have demonstrated the health benefits of regular physical exercise, few epidemiological studies have investigated the nature of the association between different aspects of physical exercise and mental health, and li...

Background: Physical inactivity and obesity pose a major public health challenge. The aim of this study was to describe the level of physical exercise and body-mass index in college and university students, as well as to examine potential changes from 2010 to 2018. Methods: Data stem from the SHoT study, a national student health survey for high...

Introduction: Occupational rehabilitation may be offered to workers on long-term sick leave who often report problems with cognitive functioning, anxiety, depression, pain, and reduced work ability. The empirical knowledge is sparce on how occupational rehabilitation may influence cognitive and emotional functioning and patients have not previousl...

Objectives Individual placement and support (IPS) is an effective approach for helping people with severe mental illness gain employment. This study aimed to investigate if IPS can be effectively repurposed to support young adults at risk of early work disability due to various social and health related problems. Methods A randomized controlled tri...

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible difference between the Modified atWork intervention (MAW) and the Original atWork intervention (OAW) on sick leave and other health related outcomes. atWork is a group intervention using the workplace as an arena for distribution of evidence-based knowledge about musculoskeletal and...

Background: Young adults that are not in education, training or employment represent a problem across European countries. While some are cases of temporary transitions or short-term inactivity, others represent a more vulnerable group at risk of early work disability. Early exclusion from the labor market represents long lives exposed to detrimenta...

Aims: Social support is associated with well-being and positive health outcomes. However, positive outcomes of social support might be more dependent on the way support is provided than the amount of support received. A distinction can be made between directive social support, where the provider resumes responsibility, and nondirective social supp...

Background: Disability benefits and sick leave benefits represents huge costs in western countries. The pathways and prognostic factors for receiving these benefits seen in recent years are complex and manifold. We postulate that mental health and IQ, both alone and concurrent, influence subsequent employment status, disability benefits and mortal...

Purpose Investigate the relative effect of response outcome expectancies, work conditions, and number of subjective health complaints (SHC) on anxiety and depression in Norwegian employees. Learned response outcome expectancies are important contributors to health. Individual differences in the expectancy to cope with workplace and general life dem...

Background and objective: Cognitive-behavioural treatments (CBT) and physical group exercise (PE) have both shown promising effects in reducing disability and increasing work participation among chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. A brief cognitive intervention (BI) has previously been demonstrated to reduce work disability in CLBP. The aim of...

Objective: This randomized clinical trial was performed to compare the effect of a new multidisciplinary intervention (MI) programme to a brief intervention (BI) programme on return to work (RTW), fully and partly, at a 12-month and 24-month follow-up in patients on long-term sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Patients (n = 284, mean...

Background Musculoskeletal disorders including low back pain have major individual and socioeconomic consequences as it often leads to disability and long-term sick leave and exclusion from working life. Predictors of disability and return to work often differ, and the dominant knowledge is on predictors for prolonged sick leave and disability. The...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to test if there is correspondence in stakeholders' assessments of health, work capacity and sickness certification in four workers with comorbid subjective health complaints based on video vignettes. Methods A cross sectional survey among stakeholders (N = 514) in Norway in 2009/2010. Logistic regression and mu...

Background: Subjective health complaints, such as musculoskeletal and mental health complaints, have a high prevalence in the general population, and account for a large proportion of sick leave in Norway. It may be difficult to prevent the occurrence of subjective health complaints, but it may be possible to influence employees' perception and ma...

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a workplace educational low back pain intervention had an effect on sick leave at the individual level and to identify possible predictors of the effect of intervention. Methods: Work units in two municipalities were cluster randomized to (a) educational meetings and peer support (45 units),...

Background Long-term sick leave and withdrawal from working life is a concern in western countries. In Norway, comprehensive inpatient work rehabilitation may be offered to sick listed individuals at risk of long-term absence from work. Knowledge about prognostic factors for work outcomes after long-term sick leave and work rehabilitation is still...

Subjective health complaints (SHC), including nonspecific low back pain (LBP) as the most common single complaint, are the main reasons for long-term sick leave in many western countries. These complaints are often attributed to "stress". Cortisol has frequently been considered a biomarker reflecting sustained physiological HPA-axis activity, and i...

Musculoskeletal pain is associated with comorbidity, extensive use of health services, long-term disability and reduced quality of life. The scientific literature on effects of treatment for musculoskeletal pain is inconclusive. The purpose of this study is to compare a multidisciplinary intervention (MI), including use of the novel Interdisciplina...

Dysregulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-activity has been associated with low back pain (LBP). The underlying mechanisms are not fully explained, but psychological mechanisms are considered important. In this study we examine the association between psychiatric disorders/symptoms measured with different instruments, and cortisol in a popula...

The aim of this study was to explore how functional ability, coping and health were related to work and benefit status three years after participating in a four-week inpatient interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation program. The cohort consisted of 338 individuals (75% females, mean age 51 years (SD=8.6)) who three years earlier had participa...

Objective The relationship between fatigue and pain has been investigated previously, but little is known about the prevalence of substantial fatigue in patients sick-listed for chronic low back pain (CLBP) and about how fatigue is associated with depression, pain, and long-term disability. The aims of the study were to examine the prevalence of su...

Study design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To examine the sensitivity of 2 single-item questions compared with 2 longer questionnaires for screening depression and anxiety among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Summary of background data: Psychosocial factors are frequently identified as risk factors for developing CLBP and as...

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to explore whether general practitioners (GPs) in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark make similar or different decisions regarding sick leave for patients with severe subjective health complaints (SHC). The secondary objective was to investigate if patient diagnoses, the reasons attributed for patient c...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine if age, gender, medical diagnosis, occupation, and previous sick leave predicted different probabilities for being at work and for registered sickness benefits, and differences in the transitions between any of these states, for individuals that had participated in an interdisciplinary work-related reh...

The associations between socioeconomic status (SES), physical and psychosocial workload and health are well documented. According to The Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress (CATS), learned response outcome expectancies (coping, helplessness, and hopelessness) are also important contributors to health. This is in part as independent factors for he...

Purpose: To evaluate whether information and reassurance about low back pain (LBP) given to employees at the workplace could reduce sick leave. Methods: A Cluster randomized controlled trial with 135 work units of about 3,500 public sector employees in two Norwegian municipalities, randomized into two intervention groups; Education and peer supp...

Background The workplace is used as a setting for interventions to prevent and reduce sickness absence, regardless of the specific medical conditions and diagnoses.AimsTo give an overview of the general effectiveness of active workplace interventions aimed at preventing and reducing sickness absence.Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase...

Background. A diagnosis is the basis of medical action, the key to various social privileges and national sick leave statistics. The objectives of this study were to investigate which diagnoses general practitioners in Scandinavia give patients with severe subjective health complaints, and what kind of treatments they suggested. Methods. One hundre...

The aim of this study is to provide a narrative review of the current state of knowledge of the role of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the management of chronic nonspecific back pain. A literature search on all studies published up until July 2012 (PubMed and PsycINFO) was performed. The search string consisted of 4 steps: cognitive behavior...

Background Return to work (RTW) after long-term sick leave can be a long-lasting process where the individual may shift between work and receiving different social security benefits, as well as between part-time and full-time work. This is a challenge in the assessment of RTW outcomes after rehabilitation interventions. The aim of this study was to...

We examined scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988) in relation to drive to work, enjoyment of and engagement in work, and professional position. A sample of 235 Norwegian bank employees completed a cross-sectional survey. We found that managers scored higher than subordinates on all measures. NPI scores correla...

Background Modern health worries (concerns about aspects of modern life affecting health) heve been associated with subjective health complaints and health care utilization. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the association between modern health worries (MHW) and subjective health complaints (SHC), health care utilization, and sick l...

The objective of the present study was to explore whether a culturally adapted lifestyle education programme would improve the risk factor profile for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Pakistani immigrant women in Oslo, Norway. The randomised controlled trial (the InnvaDiab study), lasting 7 ± 1 months, comprised six edu...

The aim was to investigate how working in an extreme and isolated environment in the Arctic affected the diurnal rhythm of saliva cortisol. Field study. Twenty-five male tunnel workers were screened during 3 different working cycles with different light conditions during a 9-month construction period; April/May (24 hours [h] light), September/Octob...

To explore the reluctance of, and examine the arguments given by Norwegian general practioners (GPs), regarding their unwillingness to recruit their patients for a study where sick leave would be based on randomization. A qualitative study presenting individual arguments from 50 Norwegian GPs, as written responses to a web-based, open-ended questio...

Brief intervention programs are clinically beneficial, and cost efficient treatments for low back pain, when offered at 8-12 weeks, compared with treatment as usual. However, about 30% of the patients do not return to work. The European Guidelines for treatment of chronic low back pain recommends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), but conclude tha...

Psychological and behavioural factors seem to influence the results of bariatric surgery and the ability to achieve sustained weight loss and subjective wellbeing after the operation. Adequate pre- and postoperative psychological counselling are suggested to improve the results of surgery. However, some patients are reluctant to participate in pre-...

Previous findings have shown a high degree of comorbid psychopathology in chronic low back pain (CLBP), but less is known about the broad range of comorbid psychiatric disorders. The prevalence is reported to be between 40% and 100% depending on methods being used, sample or setting. To assess the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in a populati...

To explore GPs' considerations in decision-making regarding sick-listing of patients suffering from SHC. Qualitative analysis of data from nine focus-group interviews. Three cities in different regions of Norway. Participants. A total of 48 GPs (31 men, 17 women; aged 32-65) participated. The GPs were recruited when invited to a course dealing with...

The risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Pakistani immigrants is high. The aim of this study was to provide an update of the risk of T2D and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in female Pakistani immigrants living in Oslo, Norway. Female Pakistani immigrants (n=198, age 25–63) were interviewed, and data related to T2D, including anthropometric measurements...

Aim The aim of the present study was to examine if patients’ expectancy after bariatric surgery was related to improvement of body appearance, health, physical fitness, or ability to work. Further, the relationship between psychiatric comorbid disorders and outcome expectancies after surgery was investigated. Method The study population consisted...

The cut-off date used in selecting athletes for competitive sports may give individuals born early in the year an advantage over those born late when physical development and maturation are the selection criteria. This advantage is referred to as the relative age effect (RAE). In soccer, such criteria may be detrimental, as specific motor skills ne...

The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported health effects of extended work hours (10 h on/14 h off) for 21 d at work/21 d off, for 40 male tunnel workers in an Arctic area. A questionnaire obtaining information about demographics and subjective health complaints (SHC), including musculoskeletal, pseudoneurological, gastrointestinal, all...

To investigate if a standardised physical exercise programme given in addition to a brief intervention at a spine clinic had an effect on return to work. A total of 246 patients sick-listed 8-12 weeks for non-specific low back pain were offered a brief intervention programme at the spine clinic with examination, information, reassurance, and encour...

The increasingly high number of immigrants from South-East Asia with The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is an important challenge for the public health sector. Impaired glucose is essential in MetS. The blood glucose concentration is not only governed by diet and physical activity, but also by psychological distress which could contribute to the develop...

The stress hormone cortisol shows a pronounced endogenous diurnal rhythm, which is affected by the sleep/wake cycle, meals and activity. Shift work and especially night work disrupts the sleep/wake cycle and causes a desynchronization of the natural biological rhythms. Therefore, different shift schedules may have different impact on performance at...