DISCREPANCY BETWEEN SELF-REPORTED RESILIENCE AND OBJECTIVE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN ASSESSMENT OF WORK ABILITY: AN ANALYSIS OF TWO DIAGNOSTIC GROUPS

Abstract

Subjective evaluation of psychiatric patients is less accurate and more variable than the average in the general population and, thus, it is important to discuss the relationship between subjective and objective ability. However, few studies have explored differences between psychiatric patients’ subjective ability and objective cognitive test performance. We gathered a sample of consecutive (unselected) patients referred for psychiatric assessment of work ability at Helsinki University Hospital. Subjective resilience was measured with Wagnild’s 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14) and objective ability with Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). As a whole, the patients estimated their resilience to be low. Patients diagnosed with depressive disorder or bipolar disorder estimated their resilience significantly lower than the other psychiatric group. Yet with neuropsychological tests there was no difference between groups. Resilience correlated positively with the work ability recommendations given at the end of the assessment period. When resilience increased, the probability of belonging to the group that was able to work was significantly higher compared to the groups that were totally or partially unable to work. The result remained the same even if education was taken into account.

Keywords

• ability to work
• cantab
• cognition
• depression
• neuropsychology
• rs-14