Psychometric properties of the Worker Role Self-assessment instrument used to evaluate unemployed people in Sweden

Abstract

The aim was to determine the psychometric properties of the new Worker Role Self-assessment (WRS) instrument. The content validity, utility, test-retest reliability, sensitivity to change, and predictive validity of the WRS were investigated in two subject samples, which were selected at work and pain rehabilitation clinics, respectively. One of these groups consisted of 23 clients and four occupational therapists, and the other comprised 83 clients. All clients in both samples were unemployed. The results showed that both the clients and the occupational therapists perceived the content validity and the utility of the WRS as good. The test-retest reliability showed mostly good to moderate agreement, and the internal consistency was satisfactory. One of the items showed predictive validity for work capacity, and the same item was sensitive to change. However, a ceiling effect reduced the utility and the sensitivity to change. Our findings indicate that the WRS is promising as a tool that clinicians can use to evaluate the capacity for return to work and for planning interventions, although some revisions are needed to counteract the ceiling effect.

Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Worker Role Self-Assessment (WRS) When Used for People With Psychiatric Disabilities in Sweden

“…A previous study on the WRS, where the target group was people with mixed problems who participated in vocational rehabilitation, suggested that the WRS could produce ceiling effects (Wastberg et al, 2009). This was, however, not the case in this study of people with psychiatric disabilities.…”

“…This meant, for example, that a question regarding the physical environment was excluded, and three WRI items that concern the psychosocial environment were reformulated from addressing the workplace to targeting the larger context of family and support systems. This is described in more detail by Wästberg and colleagues (Wastberg et al, 2009). The WRS was found to have acceptable content and construct validity, utility, internal consistency and 5 test-retest reliability among people with a variety of musculoskeletal or stress-related problems in ongoing work rehabilitation.…”

“…The WRS (Wastberg et al, 2009) is a self-report questionnaire based on the items in the Worker Role Interview (Ekbladh, Thorell, & Haglund, 2010;Forsyth et al, 2006). The version used in the present study has 14 items tapping different aspects of the worker role, as shown in Table 2 which also shows the domains to which the items pertain.…”

“…The WRS was found to have acceptable content and construct validity, utility, internal consistency and 5 test-retest reliability among people with a variety of musculoskeletal or stress-related problems in ongoing work rehabilitation. The overall WRS scale was not predictive of return to work, but an item targeting belief in having a work in the future showed predictive validity of return to work following completion of work rehabilitation (Wastberg et al, 2009). …”

“…All of these are based on interviews and/or observation and include an assessment made by the interviewer. The latter two have also been developed into self-report instruments, namely the Work Environment Impact Scale -Self Rating (Wastberg, Haglund, & Eklund, 2012) and Worker Role 4 Self-assessment (Wastberg, Haglund, & Eklund, 2009), both of which were found reliable and valid when used in primary health care and work rehabilitation clinics, among other settings.…”