An overlooked concept? Intention to return to work among individuals on sick leave due to common mental disorders: A scoping review

Abstract

Intention to return to work (RTW) is an important predictor of actual RTW among individuals on sick leave in general. However, it is not known whether this is also the case for individuals with common mental disorders (CMDs). Because CMDs are a leading cause of disability worldwide, the RTW process is often more complex and sick leave periods are longer than for other diagnoses. Thus, it is important to focus solely on this group. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarise studies targeting individuals' RTW intention and its importance for actual RTW after sick leave due to CMDs. Studies relevant for the aim were identified by a structured searching in three electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO) from their inception until the end of June 2020, as well as grey literature and reference lists of included articles. To cover all aspects of "intention", close concepts such as "expectation" and "willingness" were searched for as well. After the selection process, 10 original research papers were included in the review: eight quantitative and two qualitative. Nine of the studies used the concept "expectation" and one "intention". There was also a lack of consistency in measurements across studies. However, they showed that intention (expectation) was a significant predictor of actual RTW. The conclusion is that RTW intention among individuals after sick leave due to CMDs has been narrowly investigated, with a lack of consistency in measurements. Future research should use behavioural-psychological theories to cover the concept "intention" in a more comprehensive and consistent manner.

Keywords: common mental disorders; intention; return to work; sick leave.