Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr 1;48(3):173-189.
doi: 10.5271/sjweh.4005. Epub 2021 Dec 8.

Towards a better understanding of work participation among employees with common mental health problems: a systematic realist review

Suzanne Gm van Hees  1 , Bouwine E Carlier, Emma Vossen, Roland Wb Blonk, Shirley Oomens
Affiliations

Towards a better understanding of work participation among employees with common mental health problems: a systematic realist review

Suzanne Gm van Hees et al. Scand J Work Environ Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: Common mental health problems (CMHP) represent a major health issue and burden to employees and employers. Under certain conditions work contributes to wellbeing and participation of employees with CMHP. Promoting work participation is important, however the specific conditions in which work participation occurs is complex and largely unclear. This calls for a novel, realistic approach to unravel the complex relationship between outcomes, context and underlying mechanisms of work participation.

Methods: In the present realist review, peer-reviewed studies conducted between 1995 and 2020 were systematically reviewed on the outcome measures `stay at work` (SAW) and `work performance` (WP). The database search from seven databases identified 2235 records, of which 61 studies met the selection criteria and methodological rigor.

Results: The synthesis demonstrates how work participation is promoted by the following mechanisms and contextual factors: (i) organizational climate and leadership, (ii) social support, (iii) perceived job characteristics, (iv) coping styles, (v) health symptoms and severity, (vi) personal characteristics, and (vii) features of interventions. An explanatory framework, based on the Capability-for-Work model, presents a new set of capabilities leading to SAW and WP.

Conclusions: This systematic realist review revealed mechanisms and contextual factors that promote both SAW and WP among employees with CMHP. These show how the organizational climate, social support in the work context, job characteristics and certain capabilities enable employees with CMHP to participate at work. Our contributions and practical implications are discussed, providing valuable insights for employers, professionals and researchers in the development of evidence-based interventions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The GAK Institute supported this work under grant 2017-928.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart of study inclusion process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
How to promote staying at work (SAW) among employees with CMHP, framed by Capability-for-Work model, based on 45 studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
How to promote work performance: framed by Capability-for-Work model, based on 39 studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Thisted CN, Nielsen CV, Bjerrum M. Work Participation Among Employees with Common Mental Disorders:A Meta-synthesis. J Occup Rehabil. 2018 Sep;28(3):452–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-017-9743-9. - PubMed
    1. OECD. Fit Mind, Fit Job. From Evidence to Practice in Mental Health and Work. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2015. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
    1. Andersen MF, Nielsen KM, Brinkmann S. Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2012 Mar;38(2):93–104. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3257. - PubMed
    1. Harvey SB, Modini M, Joyce S, Milligan-Saville JS, Tan L, Mykletun A, et al. Can work make you mentally ill?A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup Environ Med. 2017 Mar;74(4):301–10. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-104015. - PubMed
    1. Pomaki G, Franche RL, Murray E, Khushrushahi N, Lampinen TM. Workplace-based work disability prevention interventions for workers with common mental health conditions:a review of the literature. J Occup Rehabil. 2012 Jun;22(2):182–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-011-9338-9. - PubMed

Publication types