Employer Strategies for Preventing Mental Health Related Work Disability: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This study examined Nordic research on psychosocial work environment and disability management, specifically employer strategies for preventing work disability in common mental disorders (CMDs). A scoping review was performed to identify strategies across several research databases, alongside contact with content experts, hand-searching of non-indexed journals, and internet searches. Identification and selection of relevant studies, charting of data, and collating and summarizing of results was done using a six-step framework for conducting scoping reviews. Several key elements and knowledge gaps were identified in current prevention approaches and workplace initiatives across the included studies. We propose a program theory for workplace prevention of CMD-related work disability. The program theory may help specify employer strategies, and bridge activities with stakeholders outside the workplace.

Workplace Barriers to Return-to-Work Processes

“…This implies that work environment factors that are generally found to be harmful to work-related health and well-being (Kompier 2002;STAMI 2018) may act as barriers to RTW processes as well. We also found support in previous research that both employees and the workplace need to adapt in order to engage in RTW processes successfully (Gensby et al 2019;Kielhofner et al 1999;Rubenson et al 2007). For the manager, a lack of organizational flexibility makes it difficult to contribute to customized facilitation.…”

“…The management and follow-up of employees in RTW processes is complex regarding the attainment of the necessary and often diagnosis-specific knowledge of proper accommodation (Spjelkavik et al 2023). Sickness absence benefits, rules, and regulations also add to this complexity (Gensby et al 2019). It has been argued that Nordic countries have had limited success in their abilities 'to facilitate and maintain a strong workplace approach' (Clayton 2011; Ståhl 2009 cited in Gensby et al 2019, p. 58) and that research on work disability prevention in general has an idealized view, that is, it seems to assume that workplaces and employers can support sick-listed workers in a healthy way (Ellen et al 2007;Seing et al 2015).…”

Development and Construct Validity of the Work Instability Scale for People With Common Mental Disorders in a Sample of Depressed and Anxious Workers: A Rasch Analysis

“…This phase, if identified, is important from a preventive perspective, as it may give possibilities to make adjustments while working. 19 , 20 The scale provides opportunities to identify imbalance rather than inability, and may thus be helpful in taking early measures to avoid sickness absence and its negative consequences. 17 More research is warranted to test the scale but also to further investigate the process of interconnection between depressive and anxiety symptoms and related changes in functioning.…”

“… 19 Early support at the workplace is also important, calling for awareness among managers about depression and anxiety, and about adjustments to support the worker. Timely interventions to restore imbalance between resources (individual and organizational) and job demands are challenging, 20 and it should thus be essential to recognize when workers are on the verge of declining health and function.…”

Aligning stakeholders’ understandings of the return-to-work process: a qualitative study on workplace meetings in inpatient multimodal occupational rehabilitation

“…Qualitative studies can also illuminate how intervention components, along with the sociocultural and legislative context, influence the execution and outcomes of workplace interventions. Although many qualitative studies have examined stakeholders’ experiences with or perceptions of return-to-work rehabilitation and/or the return-to-work process (Andersen, Nielsen, Brinkmann et al, 2012b ; Franche, Baril et al, 2005 ; Gensby et al, 2019 ; M Grant et al, 2019 ; MacEachen et al, 2006 ; Young et al, 2005 ), qualitative studies investigating workplace interventions as a part of rehabilitation programmes have remained limited. Therefore, we aimed to explore the content of workplace meetings conducted as a part of an inpatient multimodal occupational rehabilitation programme and the experiences of the various stakeholders involved: employees, supervisors, and rehabilitation therapists.…”