Mental health issues in the workplace: Part 3

Part 3: work status and the return-to-work plan

Summary:

In the third part of a series of articles on mental health at work, Dr Greg Couser considers the role of OH professionals in supporting an employee with a mental health condition to stay at work or to facilitate a sustained return to work from sickness absence.

Occupational health (OH) professionals have a primary role in keeping workers healthy, productive, and on the job. Yet when workers encounter mental health problems, it can be challenging for OH professionals to navigate return-to-work issues. The first article in this series explored common mental health disorders and the impact they have in the workplace in terms of reduced productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall cost. The second article explored the recognition of mental health issues, and the role of the OH professional in providing clinical assessment and developing initial interventions. This third article outlines an approach to work status and developing a return-to-work plan…

 

Dr Greg P Couser, MD, MPH, is a consultant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, US, where he is the medical director of the employee assistance programme.

Author: Couser G

Tags mental health

Occupational Health at Work October/November 2022 (vol. 19/3) pp34-38

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