Preparing difficult clients to return to work.

Objective: Investigate the effect of the symptom magnification syndrome (SMS) behavior pattern on industrial rehabilitation on return to work and maintenance at work.

Participants: A sample of 99 clients with active workers' compensation claims was studied; 25 identified as having SMS.

Methods: A protocol-driven functional capacity evaluation (FCE) was administered and the presence of SMS was determined from a standard protocol that considered 13 factors.