Canadian French adaptation and validation of instruments measuring return-to-work expectations and recovery expectations: Exploring similarities and differences between the two concepts.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to (1) to perform the transcultural adaptation from English to Canadian French of four instruments measuring return to work (RTW) expectations and two on recovery expectations, (2) assess their construct validity, and (3) to test their underlying constructs. METHODS: The instruments were translated and then adapted through pre-testing. Their construct validity was verified using hypothesis testing. Correlations between RTW and recovery-expectation instruments tested their conceptual overlap. RESULTS: The transcultural adaptation step was straightforward. Hypothesis testing supported three RTW-expectations and one recovery expectations' instruments. Their correlations were low, suggesting that RTW expectations and recovery expectations instruments do not measure the same constructs. CONCLUSIONS: Hypothesis testing allowed rejecting some instruments but supported others. Recovery expectations, referring to health and healing, should be differentiated from RTW-expectations, referring to work participation.