Focus on health,motivation,and pride: A discussion of three theoretical perspectives on the rehabilitation of sick-listed people

Abstract

Objective/Method: During the last decades sickness absence from work has become a great societal problem. Questions of how rehabilitation processes should become successful and how peoples' ability to work can be improved have become of great public interest. In this paper we discuss three well-known theoretical perspectives regarding their usefulness when it comes to research on rehabilitation for return to work.

Results: The three perspectives are: Antonovsky's salutogenic model of health, Kielhofner's model of human occupation and Scheff's sociological theory of "shame and pride".

Conclusions: Each of these can be applied to increase understanding and knowledge concerning sickness absence and return to work. We discuss points of affinity among the three perspectives, as well as significant differences, and we propose that a very essential common denominator is the importance of self-experience.