Common mental disorders (CMDs) are highly prevalent in the working population, and are associated with long-term sickness absence and disability. Workers on sick leave with CMDs would benefit from interventions that enable them to successfully return to work (RTW). However, the effectiveness of RTW interventions for workers with a CMD is not well studied. The objective of this review is to assess the effectiveness of existing workplace and clinical interventions that were aimed at enhancing RTW. A systematic review of studies of interventions for improving RTW in workers with a CMD was conducted. The main outcomes were proportion of RTW and sick-leave duration until RTW. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from Medline/PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, SocINDEX, and Human resource and management databases from January 1995 to 2016. Two authors independently selected studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We pooled studies that we deemed sufficiently homogeneous in different comparison groups and assessed the overall quality of the evidence. We reviewed 2347 abstracts from which 136 full-text articles were reviewed and 16 RCTs were included in the analysis. Combined results from these studies suggested that the available interventions did not lead to improved RTW rates over the control group [pooled risk ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.12], but reduced the number of sick-leave days in the intervention group compared to the control group, with a mean difference of -13.38 days (95% CI -24.07 to -2.69).
In this qualitative study, the experiences of persons who frequently visit the emergency department (ED) for mental health-related reasons were explored. Interpretive Description guided the design, and data were collected through interviews with 10 adults who made 12+ ED visits within a 1-year time frame (2015). Thematic analysis was used to analyze data inductively. The participants' experiences were described with the help of three themes emerging from the data: The Experience, The Providers, and Protective Factors. The participants felt compelled to come to hospital. For them, every visit was necessary, and dismissal of their needs by staff was interpreted as disrespect and prejudice. We noted differences in ED utilization patterns according to psychiatric diagnosis, and more research is needed to explore the phenomenon of frequent use by particular patient populations. Furthermore, health care providers implementing interventions designed to improve emergency care should consider tailored approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Self-efficacy (SE) is a key factor in the enhancement of work ability and RTW. Improving employee's SE and collaborating with employers to enhance work ability may help to facilitate RTW. As the RTW process is complex, exploring theoretical frameworks for RTW in individuals with a CMD is also needed.
The Youth Transition Project was designed to provide youth with mental health and addiction issues with individualized transitional care plans as they transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). Over an 18-month period, a total of 127 (59.1%) youth were transitioned and seen by an AMHS provider, 41 (19.1%) remained on a waitlist for services and 47 (21.8%) canceled services. The average time to transition was 110 days (SD = 100). Youth exhibited a wide range of diagnoses; 100% of the population was identified as having serious psychiatric problems. Findings demonstrate that the Youth Transition Project has been successful in promoting continuity of care by transitioning youth seamlessly from youth to adult services. Inconsistencies in wait times and service delivery suggest that further model development is needed to enhance the long-term sustainability of the Youth Transition Project.
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