Common mental health problems are a major contributor to long-term sickness absence from work and the evidence is weak for the effectiveness of many return-to-work interventions.
An interview-based study explored why this might be the case, and concluded that interventions need to be individual to be effective.
It also suggested that it is difficult for employees with mental health problems to establish a high-quality relationship with return-to-work professionals, as the latter are often both the facilitators and controllers of the process.
Andersen MF et al (2014). “How do workers with common mental disorders experience a multidisciplinary return-to-work intervention? A qualitative study”. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, first published online 15 February.