Lötters and colleagues’ study¹ about return to work in musculoskeletal disorders is important for three reasons. First, it deals with a type of disorder that is widespread and costly in terms of increased sickness absence and healthcare use.^2,3 Second, it recognises return to work as a biopsychosocial phenomenon that is influenced by medical, environmental, and personal factors. Third, it uses a strong prospective cohort design to examine the effect of depressive symptoms, fear-avoidance, and self-efficacy on return to work.

The study shows that in employees with musculoskeletal disorders, depressive symptoms play a central role in the return-to-work process. Interestingly, this finding is compatible with return-to-work research among workers with other prevalent disorders such as common mental disorders …