Supporting workers with mental health problems to retain employment: Users' experiences of a UK job retention project

Abstract

Objectives: To understand experiences and perspectives of job retention project users in relation to challenges faced and support received; to develop explanatory insight into effective interventions. Participants: Fourteen employed users of a United Kingdom job retention project, with a range of mental health problems. Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews which were collaboratively designed with service users. Data analysis involved deductive and inductive thematic analysis, constant comparative analysis, and service user collaboration. Results: Participants' feelings of guilt and self blame were a major obstacle to job retention. The project helped them address these by supporting a reappraisal of their situation. This assisted identification of job accommodations and adjustments and confidence in self advocacy. Thus an important basis for improved dialogue with their employer was established. A peer support group provided an important adjunct to individual project worker interventions. 10 participants retained employment; three of those who did not were helped to retain work aspirations. Conclusions: The project effectively used a multi-faceted approach involving a person-environment-occupation focus on the worker, their work, and workplace. Such complex interventions may offer more promise than those interventions (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) which have a primary focus on the individual worker.

Views and Experiences of Persons with Chronic Diseases about Strategies that Aim to Integrate and Re-Integrate Them into Work: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

“…Two mixed-methods studies were excluded because it was not possible to differentiate data obtained with qualitative and quantitative methods [ 41 , 42 ]; a third study was excluded because we could not clearly identify the views reported by PwCDs [ 43 ]. This led to a total of 24 publications included in our review [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ]. The flow chart of the study selection process is presented in Figure 1 .…”

“…Participants in the included qualitative studies were most often persons suffering from mental disorders [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 56 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 67 ]. Three studies included persons with musculoskeletal disorders [ 47 , 51 , 55 ], two studies persons with cancer [ 49 , 66 ], two studies persons with mental and musculoskeletal disorders [ 53 , 64 ], and two studies a broad mix of persons with long-term conditions [ 54 , 65 ].…”

“…Studies with strategies targeting employed persons generally focused on supporting persons on sick leave to return to work. Only two studies explored a measure that tried to help workers to retain their jobs [ 47 , 48 ].…”

“…Thirteen studies were conducted in Nordic countries: Denmark ( n = 4 [ 44 , 47 , 59 , 60 ]), Norway ( n = 3 [ 53 , 57 , 61 ]) and Sweden ( n = 6 [ 45 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 55 , 56 ]); nine studies were carried out in Belgium ( n = 2 [ 66 , 67 ]), France ( n = 1 [ 49 ]) and the UK ( n = 6 [ 46 , 48 , 54 , 58 , 64 , 65 ]); and two publications reported on one study performed in different European countries, namely Bosnia, Denmark, France, Greece, Norway, Poland, Spain and the UK [ 62 , 63 ].…”

Maximizing work integration in job placement of individuals facing mental health problems: Supervisor experiences

“…Realistic assessments to ensure necessary accommodations and a good job match may require disclosure of mental health issues [6,21,71]. However, many people confronting mental health problems are hesitant to discuss these issues at the workplace [72,73]. The concern of how much to disclose is an ongoing dilemma for the trainee in the work environment, and not resolved at the outset [74].…”