Purpose The objective of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive and emotional functioning and the number of days on health-related benefits such as sick leave, work assessment allowance and disability pension. We investigated whether cognitive and emotional functioning at the start of rehabilitation and the change from the start to the end of rehabilitation predicted the number of days on health-related benefits in the year after occupational rehabilitation. Methods A sample of 317 individuals (age 19–67 years), mainly diagnosed with a musculoskeletal or mental and behavioural ICD-10 disorder, participated. The sample was stratified depending on the benefit status in the year before rehabilitation. Those receiving health-related benefits for the full year comprised the work assessment allowance and disability pension (WAA) group and those receiving benefits for less than a year comprised the sick leave (SL) group. The participants were administered cognitive and emotional computerised tests and work and health questionnaires at the beginning and end of rehabilitation. The cumulative number of days on health-related benefits during 12 months after rehabilitation was the primary outcome variable and age, gender, educational level, subjective health complaints, anxiety, and depression were controlled for in multiple regression analyses. Results The WAA group (n = 179) was significantly impaired at baseline compared to the SL group (n = 135) in focused attention and executive function, and they also scored worse on work and health related variables. Higher baseline scores and change scores from the start to the end of rehabilitation, for sustained attention, were associated with fewer number of health-related benefit days in the WAA group, while higher baseline scores for working memory were associated with fewer number of health-related benefit days in the SL group. Conclusions New knowledge about attention and memory and return to work in individuals with different benefit status may pave the way for more targeted programme interventions. Rehabilitation programmes could benefit from designing interventions that respectively improve sustain attention and working memory related to working life in individuals on sick leave or work assessment allowance and disability pension.

目的本研究的目的是调查认知和情绪功能与健康相关福利（如病假、工作评估津贴和残疾抚恤金）的天数之间的关联。我们调查了康复开始时的认知和情绪功能以及康复开始到结束的变化是否预测了职业康复后一年中与健康相关的福利天数。方法主要被诊断为肌肉骨骼或精神和行为 ICD-10 障碍的 317 人（19-67 岁）样本参与了研究。根据康复前一年的受益状况对样本进行分层。全年领取健康相关福利的人包括工作评估津贴和残疾养老金 (WAA) 组，领取不到一年的福利的人包括病假 (SL) 组。在康复开始和结束时，参与者接受了认知和情绪计算机化测试以及工作和健康问卷。康复后 12 个月内获得健康相关福利的累计天数是主要结果变量和年龄、性别、教育水平、主观健康主诉、焦虑、结果与 SL 组（n = 135）相比，WAA 组（n = 179）在基线时的注意力集中和执行功能显着受损，并且他们在工作和健康相关变量上的得分也更差。从康复开始到结束，从康复开始到结束，较高的基线评分和变化评分与 WAA 组中较少的健康相关受益天数相关，而较高的工作记忆基线评分与较少的健康相关福利天数相关。 SL 组中的相关福利天数。结论关于注意力和记忆力以及不同福利状态个体重返工作岗位的新知识可能为更有针对性的计划干预铺平道路。康复计划可以受益于设计干预措施，分别提高与病假或工作评估津贴和残疾养老金个人的工作生活相关的持续注意力和工作记忆。