Strategies used by Occupational Therapists to overcome return-to-work obstacles perceived by workers with common mental disorders

Abstract

Introduction: Few studies have focused on identifying distinctive strategies implemented for overcoming return-to-work (RTW) barriers perceived by people with common mental disorders (CMDs), and their impact on RTW. The study aimed to document the strategies used by occupational therapists to overcome RTW obstacles identified by people with CMDs, and to explore the impact of these strategies on employees’ self-efficacy. Method: Ten workers followed by three occupational therapists were recruited for this study. Based on the participants’ ROSES scores, the occupational therapists identified in a logbook the dimensions to be worked on and the strategies they implemented for each dimension. Data was analyzed with the use of thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: Three dimensions of the ROSES were most frequently targeted by the occupational therapists: job demands, fear of relapse and difficult relation with the immediate supervisor. The main strategies used to overcome these obstacles were work-oriented and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based interventions. Most of the participants have increased their self-efficacy for RTW after using these strategies. Eighty percent of the participants returned to work at the end of the study. Conclusion: The use of work-oriented and CBT-based interventions by occupational therapists appears to be useful in improving participants’ self-efficacy and promoting their return to work.