Use of a mental health guideline by occupational physicians and associations with return to work in workers sick-listed due to common mental disorders: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Overall, the guideline adherence of occupational physicians was not related to earlier return to work. However, there was considerable room for improvement in guideline use. Whether this leads to earlier return to work is still an ununanswered question. Implications for Rehabilitation Adherence of occupational physicians to an evidence-based occupational mental health guideline was low. Regular contact between occupational physician and employer was associated with earlier full return to work in workers with common mental disorders. It is important to focus on how implementation problems and barriers for guideline use can be overcome, in order to improve the quality of occupational mental health care and to potentially reduce sickness absence duration in workers with common mental disorders.

Effectiveness of a tailored implementation strategy to improve adherence to a guideline on mental health problems in occupational health care

“…Thereafter consultations take place every 6 weeks.0 = Interval between consultations 6 weeks or more during first 3 months AND 9 weeks or more thereafter1 = Interval between consultations 4–5 weeks during first 3 months AND 7–8 weeks thereafter2 = Interval between consultations less than 4 weeks during first 3 months AND less than 7 weeks thereafter 5.3Regular contact with the employerOP contacts the employer (e.g. supervisor, manager, human resource manager) during the sickness absence period every 4 weeks.0 = Contacts every 8 weeks or more1 = Contacts every 5–8 weeks2 = Contacts every 4 weeks or lessSource: Van Beurden et al, 2018 [32] PI Performance indicator, RTW Return to work, OP Occupational physician a Scoring: 0 = no adherence, 1 = minimal adherence, 2 = adequate adherence…”

“…Source: Van Beurden et al, 2018 [32] PI Performance indicator, RTW Return to work, OP Occupational physician a Scoring: 0 = no adherence, 1 = minimal adherence, 2 = adequate adherence…”

“…When assessing workers’ outcomes, this revealed that the guideline implementation approach did not lead to shortened sickness duration in workers with mental health problems [ n = 3228] [31]. Additional analyses on the association between the use of the guideline by OPs and workers’ outcome, found that better guideline use was not associated with earlier return to work [32]. From these previous studies we know that the implementation strategy was not effective on the workers’ level, i.e.…”

Welke barrières ervaren bedrijfsartsen bij het gebruik van de richtlijn Psychische problemen?

“…Te krappe contracten tussen arbodienst en bedrij ven gaan lijnrecht in tegen enkele belangrijke aanbevelin gen van de richtlijn, en goedkoop lijkt hier duurkoop. Zo hangt frequenter contact tussen bedrijfsarts en werkomge ving bijvoorbeeld samen met snellere werkhervatting van de werknemer met psychische problemen 12 , maar daar moet de bedrijfsarts wel de ruimte voor krijgen.…”

Perspectives of mental healthcare providers on pathways to improved employment for persons with mental disorders in two lower middle-income countries

“…Their provision of care and support is pivotal to recovery and the ability to work [9,11]. In the work environment, occupational health physicians and therapists also contribute to workers' health and wellbeing by providing advice on mental health care and promotion [12][13][14][15]. A study using the Delphi method by Dekkers-Sánchez and colleagues suggest that occupational physicians and rehabilitations physicians have relevant role in work retention and return to work of employees [11].…”