Objectives
The study's main goal was to examine the effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as an integrated part of the interdisciplinary treatment for patients with chronic pain. Additionally, the study had two sub-goals: 1) Evaluate the job specialist role and the need for any adaptations for this patient group, and 2) Investigate whether a job support model, where a NAV coordinator is employed as part of the interdisciplinary team, contributes to better quality and more effective job support.
Background
Chronic pain conditions are the most common cause of sick leave and disability benefits in Norway. Despite chronic pain affecting most people and being the costliest, there are few documented interventions to help these individuals (re)enter the workforce. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is a model for assisting people in finding and maintaining employment. It has shown excellent results for people with severe mental disorders, both internationally and nationally. It has also been proven to be cost-effective for society. However, IPS has never been tested for patients with chronic pain