Stress and Mental Ill-health in the Workplace: Evaluation of an Intervention for the Prevention of Sick Leave

Purpose Common mental disorders (CMD:s) are the leading cause of sick-leave spells in Sweden, resulting in suffering for the individual and financial costs for the employer as well as for society at large. Studies on interventions that address stress and mental ill-health and that focus on sick leave and return to work (RTW) show little or no effect of commonly used methods such as medication or psychological approaches. Furthermore, these interventions often focus on the individual\'s symptoms without considering their work situation. The occupational health services (OHS) has knowledge of the employee\'s work environment and can offer treatment facilitating the employee\'s RTW and improving the employee\'s work ability while taking into account both the individual and the work situation. The intervention in the current study will be performed at the OHS. The study aim is two-fold: first, an intervention that addresses both individual and workplace related aspects among employees with work-related CMD:s and/or stress related symptoms will be evaluated. In particular, the treatment\'s cost-effectiveness and impact on sick leave and mental health will be studied. Secondly, the concerned OHS staff\'s adherence to the intended treatment and associations with the outcome of the intervention will be assessed.