THE RELATIONSHIP OF COMPUTERIZED COGNITIVE TEST PERFORMANCE AND RESILIENCE TO WORKING ABILITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

ABSTRACT Purpose: We have earlier shown that the ability to work is associated with higher resilience. The aim of this study was to examine whether computerized cognitive test performance distinguishes between clinically defined work ability groups, and how these differences compare to previously established differences in resilience within the same sample. Methods: In order to examine these issues in a real-life context, we gathered a sample of 150 consecutive patients between February 2016 and March 2017, who had been referred for a comprehensive psychiatric multidisciplinary assessment of work ability. The subjective, selfrated Resilience Scale and objective, computerized cognitive CANTAB test battery measures of function were compared between three work ability groups: fit for work (28%), partially fit for work (51%) and unfit for work (21%). Results: Overall, the unfit group showed the poorest performance on the visual learning task as measured by the Paired Associates Learning (PAL) test, with statistically significant differences observed between the groups. In contrast, the fit for work group displayed significantly higher resilience compared with the partially fit and unfit groups. Conclusion: Resilience, rather than objective cognitive test performance, distinguished between patients assessed as fit for work versus those assessed as partially fit or unfit. These findings underscore the importance of addressing resilience within rehabilitation and returntowork interventions. Computerbased neuropsychological test batteries should be interpreted cautiously and used as part of a broader, multidisciplinary assessment when evaluating work ability.