Return to Work for Mental Ill-Health: A Scoping Review Exploring the Impact and Role of Return-to-Work Coordinators

Abstract

Purpose This scoping review was completed to explore the role and impact of having a return-to-work (RTW) coordinator when dealing with individuals with common mental ill-health conditions. Methods Peer reviewed articles published in English between 2000 and 2018 were considered. Our research team reviewed all articles to determine if an analytic focus on RTW coordinator and mental ill-health was present; consensus on inclusion was reached for all articles. Data were extracted for all relevant articles and synthesized for outcomes of interest. Results Our search of six databases yielded 1798 unique articles; 5 articles were found to be relevant. The searched yielded only quantitative studies. Of those, we found that studies grouped mental ill-health conditions together, did not consider quality of life, and used different titles to describe RTW coordinators. Included articles described roles of RTW coordinators but did not include information on their strategies and actions. Included articles suggest that RTW interventions for mental ill-health that utilize a RTW coordinator may result in delayed time to RTW. Conclusions Our limited findings suggest that interventions for mental ill-health that employ RTW coordinators may be more time consuming than conventional approaches and may not increase RTW rate or worker's self-efficacy for RTW. Research on this topic with long-term outcomes and varied research designs (including qualitative) is needed, as well as studies that clearly define RTW coordinator roles and strategies, delineate results by mental health condition, and address the impact of RTW coordinators on workers' quality of life.

How People with Multimorbidity and Psychosocial Difficulties Experience Support by Rehabilitation Coordinators During Sickness Absence

“…There is a lack of research into the importance of RTW coordinators for people with multimorbidity although it has been hypothesized that they are especially important for this group. 22 The literature reviews of RTW interventions have in general found no or only a weak effect of RTW programs which include coordinator support, 23 , 24 whereas others stress the importance of cooperation during the RTW process. 25–27 …”

Enhanced Capacity to Act: Managers’ Perspectives When Participating in a Dialogue-Based Workplace Intervention for Employee Return to Work

“…Strategies that facilitate RTW are clarity in the actors' roles and actions, and coordination between the systems [26]. The role of RTW coordinators is important in facilitating communication between the various actors and systems [26,28,29]. To promote communication and support between the workplace and people on sick leave, healthcare in Sweden has introduced rehabilitation coordinators in both primary and specialty healthcare [30].…”

“…To promote communication and support between the workplace and people on sick leave, healthcare in Sweden has introduced rehabilitation coordinators in both primary and specialty healthcare [30]. Research that describes the effects of the rehabilitation coordinator's role in RTW is recent and limited [29,31]. Therefore, it is important to use empirical research to investigate how managers perceive participation in workplace interventions provided by healthcare for persons with SED.…”

Psychiatrists’ Experience of Vocational Rehabilitation for Patients with Mental Illness

“…A coordination association is an example of an external body with the potential to raise the level of collaboration. A national report suggests that interventions by coordination associations help narrow the gap between the individual and the labour market [37].…”