Integrating mental health care and vocational rehabilitation to improve return to work rates for people on sick leave because of common mental disorders

Abstract

IntroductionSick leave due to common mental disorders (CMD) has major negative influence on society because of the lost productivity, social benefits, and treatment costs, and OECD estimates that the cost is equivalent to 3.4% of the Danish gross domestic product.ObjectivesThe Objective is to examine, whether integrating mental health care with vocational rehabilitation, conveys shorter return to work (RTW) time, compared to treatment as usual, after sick leave due to a CMD such as depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders.AimsThe aims of the intervention of are to provide the shortest possible RTW time. Primary outcome is RTW time, and secondary outcomes are (a) time from RTW until recurrent sick leave and (b) symptom level a six months.MethodsPatients are included in one of two randomized controlled studies (anxiety or depression in one RCT, and stress-related disorders in another RCT), after referral from the municipality vocational rehabilitation (VR) center, after sick leave for at least four weeks. Patients, in both trials, are randomized into one of three groups, in a ratio of 1:1:1: (a) control group, where they receive treatment as usual in primary care and municipally located VR, (b) intervention group: mental health care (MHC) in the research project, and municipally located VR (not integrated), and (c) intervention group: MHC in the research project, integrated with a special project VR.ResultsWe are currently including, and as of December 2016, more than 300 are included. The total sample will be 1536 patients.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.