Abstract
BACKGROUND:Depression is among the major causes of disability with a negative impact on both daily life and work performance. Whilst depression is the primary cause of sick-leave and unemployment in today’s workplace there is a lack of knowledge of the needs of individuals with depression regarding their return-to-work (RTW) process.OBJECTIVE:To explore which factors are of critical importance for people suffering from depression and who also are unemployed in their RTW-process and to explore the impact of two vocational approaches on the service users’ experiences. The study included participants in two vocational rehabilitation approaches; Individual Enabling and Support (IES) and Traditional Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR).METHOD:Qualitative methods were applied to explore critical factors in the RTW-process. Individuals with affective disorders including depression and bipolar disorder were included.RESULTSThree themes emerged as critical factors; Experiencing hope and power, professionals’ positive attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, and employing a holistic perspective and integrating health and vocational service. CONCLUSIONThis study has demonstrated critical factors for the return-to-work process as experienced by persons with depression. To experience hope and power, to meet professionals that believe “you can work”, who use a person-centred and holistic service approach, are such factors necessary for gaining a real job. In particular, professionals in TVR need to embrace this understanding since their services were not experienced as including these elements.
Highlights
Mental health problems are the main cause of sickleave and unemployment in today’s workplace [1, 2].In Sweden, mental health illness is a fast-growing problem and is the leading cause of exclusion from the labour market [2]
The study is derived from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the effectiveness of supported employment adapted for people with affective disorders after 12months
The occupational status differed between the participants in Individual Enabling and Support (IES) and Traditional Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR) regarding employment (n = 5 vs n = 0), internship (n = 2 vs n = 1), mainstream education (n = 1 vs n = 1) and prevocational training/activities (n = 0 vs n = 6)
Summary
Mental health problems are the main cause of sickleave and unemployment in today’s workplace [1, 2].In Sweden, mental health illness is a fast-growing problem and is the leading cause of exclusion from the labour market [2]. S. Porter et al / Critical factors for the return-to-work process sick-leave [2, 4, 5]. Porter et al / Critical factors for the return-to-work process sick-leave [2, 4, 5] It represents a substantial financial cost for society [6] since depression frequently starts in early life and is often recurring [3]. Whilst depression is the primary cause of sick-leave and unemployment in today’s workplace there is a lack of knowledge of the needs of individuals with depression regarding their return-to-work (RTW) process. OBJECTIVE: To explore which factors are of critical importance for people suffering from depression and who are unemployed in their RTW-process and to explore the impact of two vocational approaches on the service users’ experiences. Professionals in TVR need to embrace this understanding since their services were not experienced as including these elements
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