Return to work and wellbeing after stroke—a success story?

Background: Persons still in the labour force some years after a stroke generally have overcome a great range of difficulties. This study builds on the assumption that return to work and wellbeing are strongly related. Aim: To explore long-term wellbeing among individuals who have returned to work after a stroke. Method: Interviews with ten members of a stroke association aged 39-56 were recorded and transcribed. An overall picture of these responses is presented along with one illustrative case. Results: In spite of having recovered reasonably well from the stroke, several of the interviewees were struggling to stay in the labour market. An important finding was that even many years post-stroke, working life was fragile and the future uncertain for several respondents. Also, contingent on the risk of losing services—for example disability transport—there was the fear of losing independence. Conclusions: This mainly exploratory study has turned up some interesting research ideas that need to be elaborated on in future studies.