Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-020-09916-9 Validation of the Work Disability Diagnosis Interview for Musculoskeletal and Mental Disorders Marie‑José Durand 1,2,3  · Marie‑France Coutu 1,2,3  · Djamal Berbiche 2 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract Purpose The Work Disability Diagnosis Interview (WoDDI) consists of a semi-structured interview designed to help cli- nicians systematically identify the factors contributing to a work disability. The aim was to validate two versions of the WoDDI (construct validity, internal consistency, interrater reliability) developed for individuals absent from work due to a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) or common mental disorder (CMD). Methods A convenience sample of workers absent from work for at least three months due to an MSD or a CMD and enrolled in a rehabilitation program was recruited. To assess interrater reliability for the MSD and CMD versions, six occupational therapists by sub-group scored the WoDDI based on case histories. Results A total of 290 male and female workers (140 MSD, 150 CMD) were recruited. Exploratory factor analysis revealed similar dimensions in both versions, specifcally, illness representation, clinical judgment of the complex- ity of the medical condition, and high level of work demands. It allowed items to be reduced by approximately 20 and 40% respectively for the CMD and MSD versions. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) varied from 0.40 to 0.75 and 0.75 to 0.80 for the CMD and MSD versions respectively, while interrater reliability (Cohen’s kappa coefcients) varied from 0.51 to 0.57 and 0.27 to 0.44 for the two versions respectively. Conclusion Despite some limitations, the WoDDI’s factors cor- respond to those in the current scientifc literature. The varying results for internal consistency suggest limitations mainly for the CMD version. Interrater reliability was found overall to be fair. The next step will be to revise and retest this version. Keywords Work disability · Assessment · Validation · Musculoskeletal disorder · Common mental disorder Background Work disability afects a large proportion of the adult popu- lation [1]. It is now recognized that work disability is the result of the interaction between factors related to per- sonal, workplace, compensation and healthcare systems, as described in the disability paradigm [2]. Two major disorders contributing to work disability in industrialized countries are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, and common mental disorders (CMDs), such as stress disorders (adjustment dis- orders), mood disorders (depression), and anxiety disorders [3–5]. To help reduce the absenteeism resulting from work disability, many eforts have been made to develop and eval- uate work rehabilitation programs. Systematic reviews on the efectiveness of work rehabilitation programs reveal con- vergent results [6, 7]. The results show that such programs, which include an early intervention in the workplace, sig- nifcantly shorten work absence duration compared to usual treatment. A realist review conducted in 2017 [8] identifed multi-dimensional evaluation taking into account the person, his work context and his social environment at the start of a work rehabilitation program as an efective component of such programs. Various methods and tools for work disability evaluation have been developed in recent decades, including self-report questionnaires [9, 10], functional capacity evaluations [11, * Marie-José Durand Marie-Jose.Durand@USherbrooke.ca 1 Centre d’action en prévention et réadaptation de l’incapacité au travail (CAPRIT), Université de Sherbrooke, 150 Place Charles-Le Moyne, Suite 200, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8, Canada 2 Centre de recherche Charles-Le Moyne-Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean sur les innovations en santé (CR-CSIS), Université de Sherbrooke, 150 Place Charles-Le Moyne, Suite 200, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8, Canada 3 School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 150 Place Charles-Le Moyne, Suite 200, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8, Canada