About UGot ReWork

Background

Center for Return-to-Work Studies in Primary Care - UGot ReWork was established in 2025 at the Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, through a ten-year 50 million SEK grant from Forte (Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare).

More information: Two new welfare centers launched at the University of Gothenburg

About return to work

In many cases, return to work is a relatively quick process. The majority of people on sick leave return to work within 60 days. For a smaller proportion, however, sick leave may become long-term (more than 60 days) and is often associated with difficulties in returning to work. A closer analysis of the diagnoses behind long-term sickness absence shows that mental ill-health and musculoskeletal pain conditions are the most significant causes. For these diagnoses, recurrent sickness absence after returning to work is also common.

Why is UGot ReWork needed?

Many people who are on sick leave because of common mental disorders or musculoskeletal disorders still do not get the support they need to return to work sustainably. We still do not know enough about what actually works, for whom, and under which circumstances.

• Common mental disorders and musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common causes of long-term sickness absence in Sweden.
• Long-term sick leave affects not only health and wellbeing, but also finances, workplaces, and society as a whole.
• Support for return to work is often fragmented across healthcare, employers, and the social insurance system.
• Because primary care is where most people first seek help, it offers a vital setting for developing solutions that can make a real difference in everyday practice.

Goals and vision

UGot ReWork aims to conduct research at the international forefront of the field. Our long-term ambition is to create lasting knowledge and structures that extend beyond a ten-year horizon. This will be achieved through current research and established collaborations, as well as a strategic investment in early-career researchers, such as doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. By supporting the development of junior researchers, the centre aims to contribute to the growth of expertise and competence in the field of return to work.

Our research

Within this field, extensive research has been conducted in the form of clinical studies and systematic reviews. Despite this, important knowledge gaps remain: what works, for whom, and under what circumstances?

UGot ReWork’s research focuses on

• the development, evaluation, and implementation of return-to-work interventions in primary care, workplaces, and the social insurance system
• predictors, structural factors, and conditions within healthcare, workplaces, and the social insurance system that influence return to work
• structural factors, policies, frameworks, and institutional practices that enable or hinder return to work and collaboration between stakeholders

Collaboration

We collaborate closely with healthcare to shape support for return to work where people actually receive care. Through partnerships with primary care and other key stakeholders, UGot ReWork can translate research into practical solutions that are relevant in everyday settings. 

An interdisciplinary approach is equally important because return to work is influenced not only by health, but also by workplace conditions, organizational structures, and social insurance systems. By bringing together knowledge from several fields, we aim to address this complexity and develop more effective and sustainable support.

More information: Find all collaborating partners