Return to work after ischaemic stroke in young adults: a scoping review

The aim of the study was to synthesize the body of knowledge on the factors that are important to the process of returning to work after ischaemic stroke in young adults under 55 years of age. Guidelines regarding the scoping review methodology developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, and the PRISMA checklist for scoping reviews were used. A total of 2,249 studies were identified through a bibliographic search in six databases. A total of ten studies were finally selected to respond to the research questions. Eight studies were quantitative observational studies, and two studies had a case study design. The rate of returning to work varied between the studies. The frequency of returning to work in young stroke patients, independent of the time of assessment, ranged from 42.4% to 86%. Returning to work after ischaemic stroke in young adults is a complex process and multidimensional problem which is affected by clinical variables (level of neurological deficits, cognitive ability, independency in activities of daily living, fatigue and depression, cardiovascular factors), as well as the socioeconomic and occupational status. There is insufficient evidence concerning interventions promoting return to work. Future studies should focus on examining effective interventions to help young stroke survivors return to work.