Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42301571›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of behavioral medicine2026

Mental and Physical Health Predictors of Return-to-Work Outcomes among Individuals with Long COVID Symptoms.

Aoyjai Montgomery, Nathaniel Erdmann, Alexis Jinright, Wanda Hall, Greer Burkholder, Robert Johnson, Frances Lund, Emily Levitan

Abstract read
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Article in International journal of behavioral medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Aoyjai MontgomeryDepartment of Family, Community, and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA. aoyjai@uab.edu.
Nathaniel ErdmannDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Alexis JinrightCenter for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Wanda HallCenter for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Greer BurkholderDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Robert JohnsonDepartment of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Frances LundDepartment of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Emily LevitanDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.

Funding

Tissue and organ specific human B cell immunity: Supplement - Metabolic Risk Factors and Inflammation in PASC DevelopmentU19AI142737 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI TECTOR, A JOSEPH · 2019 to 2023
$19.7M
NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI142737
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEmerging evidence shows that infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, can lead to chronic health conditions. Long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, and psychological distress can significantly hinder return-to-work, complicating recovery and rehabilitation. This study explores how these persistent symptoms affect work outcomes to inform clinical and policy interventions supporting affected individuals.

methodsWe conducted a single-site study of patients following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (N = 206, 128 employed prior to infection). Participants reported symptoms that occurred anytime between COVID-19 infection and survey completion and their work status. A classification decision tree was generated with return-to-work status as an outcome.

resultsAmong 128 participants, 65% (n = 83) returned to their usual work duties after COVID-19 infection, with a mean recovery time of 21 days. Twenty percent (n = 25) resumed work under modified conditions (e.g., reduced hours or remote work) after a mean of 43 days, and 10% (n = 13) were unable to return due to persistent symptoms. The top five important variables that predicted work status post-COVID-19 infection were mental health, physical health, emotional distress, recovery days, and back pain.

conclusionsOverall, global mental and physical health status are stronger predictors of return-to-work status after COVID-19 infection than most individual long COVID symptoms, with the exceptions of emotional distress and back pain symptoms. Patients who have issues with mental health, physical health, emotional distress, long recovery time, and back pain are a primary group that needs support with transitioning back to work.

Indexed as

Chronic ConditionsCOVID-19Mental HealthPost Acute Sequelae of COVID-19Return-to-Work

Identifiers

PMID42301571
PMCPMC13326855

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.