Factors Associated With Rehabilitation Outcome in Patients With Low Back Pain (LBP): Prediction of Employment Outcome at 9-Month Follow-up David J. A. Dozois Keith S. Dobson University of Calgary MayWong Debra Hughes Audrey Long Columbia WORC Rehabilitation Center ABSTRACT. This study examined which admission and treatment change variables predicted return to work in a population of patients with work-related LBP. Pain and disability perception, coping strategies, depression, and functional status were examined at admission and discharge in a sample of 117 injured male workers who participated in an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. Dis- criminant function analyses, using employment status 9 months later as the dependent variable resulted in correct classification rates of 79%, using admission and treatment change scores as predictors. Psychological factors at admission were the salient variables that emerged in the prediction of employment outcome at follow-up. Of the treatment change variables, physical status and one's perception of his/her disability significantly predicted return to work. Results of this study may be beneficial in optimizing the allocation of scarce health-care resources. Low back pain (LBP) is a significant health problem, as documented in both the empirical and clinical literature (Beck, 1988; Hollenbeck, Ilgen, & Crampton, 1992; Polatinetal., 1988; Smith& Crisler, 1985). Asidefrom representing the most frequently reported musculoskeletal complaint (Milhous et al., 1989), back injury produces serious financial ramifications for workers, employers, and society with respect to health care expenditure, insurance costs and lost REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY Vol. 40, No. 4, 1995 C 1995 by the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology of the American Psychological Association Published by Springer Publishing Company, Inc., 536 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 243