Table 3 Summary of population, data collection, endpoints of studies included in review

Bhattacharyya (2007) [14]

N = 126 ACS patients

7-10 days after admission, 12 months

BDI

Patients were asked when they had started work again and whether they were working full time or part time.

Brink (2008) [30]

N = 88 MI patients

4-6 months

HADS

Questionnaire about gainful employment, unemployment, early retirement, sick leave before and after MI

Fukuoka (2009) [28]

N = 198 ACS patients

During hospitalisation, 2 and 6 months after hospital admission

BDI

Questionnaire about work status and the date participants returned to work. RTW was defined as starting back at work for more than 20 hours/week.

Engblom (1994) [27]

N = 102 CABS male patients

Before CABG, 2 and 8 months after

BDI

Questionnaire, interview about work status (defined as paid employment, full or part time) and check of registry of Social Insurance Institution

Ladwig (1994) [34]

N = 377 MI male patients

17-21 days after event, 6 months

Validated 12-item version of depression composed of three subscales with rank-ordered ratings from

1 to 3

Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about vocational and social status at the time of participation. 'Have you returned to work?'

Mayou (2000) [9]

N = 344 MI patients

3 days after admission, 3 and 12 months

HADS

Insufficient

McGee (2006) [35]

N = 363 ACS

In hospital, 12 months

BDI -FS, HADS-D

Questionnaire about RTW (full or part time employment)

Mittag (2001) [33]

N = 119 males post MI or CABG patients

During hospitalisation, 12 months

CES-D/ADS Depression

Postal questionnaire, asking whether participants had resumed their occupations, if they were working in their former job or had changed to some other workplace, and if they were working full time or not.

Soderman (2003) [5]

N = 198 CABG, PCTA patients

"Start of program," end of four week residential stay, 12 months

BDI

RTW was measured in two different ways, (a) RTW at full-time (100% of earlier working hours), and (b) RTW at reduced working hours

Soejima (1999) [31]

N = 111 married males AMI patients

Average 24.8 days post admission (in hospital) Average 8 months

Cornell Medical Index, 6 item depression index

Three measures of RTW: whether participant had returned to work, interval in days between hospital discharge and resumption of work, and estimates of activity level at work compared with before MI

Sykes (2000) [32]

N = 149 MI

Patients

Baseline was pre

discharge upon stabilising of condition and again at 12 months

Subscale of MMPI

Employment status was defined as returned to work or not, with information collected on patient occupation, Social Economic Status and work strain

Samkange-Zeeb (2006) [29]

N = 620 CHD patients

Beginning of rehab, 6 and 12months post rehab

HADS (adjusted for Germany)

Current working situation and questionnaire on intention to RTW, disability and profession