Work-related interventions for people on long-term sick leave due to common mental disorders: a rapid review
Systematic review
|Published
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health was commissioned by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) to conduct a rapid review on the effect of work-related interventions for people on long-term sick leave due to common mental disorders (CMDs).
Key message
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health was commissioned by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) to conduct a rapid review on the effect of work-related interventions for people on long-term sick leave due to common mental disorders (CMDs).
We performed a systematic literature search in May 2020. Two researchers, working independently, evaluated the title and abstract of each reference against pre-specified inclusion criteria. The full text publication of relevant references was retrieved and evaluated in a similar process.
Our systematic search retrieved 7186 references. We included 12 primary studies and 8 systematic reviews. The participants in the included studies were primarily individuals with CMDs, while some studies additionally included individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. The primary studies were conducted in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Six different interventions were evaluated across studies: work-focused cognitive therapy, multidisciplinary treatment, problem solving and management support, online learning and support, occupational therapy and work-quality training, and follow-up via telephone. The results varied with regard to the effect on work-related interventions on return to work in individuals on long-term sick leave due to CMDs.
We did not find evidence to support any intervention were superior regarding the effect on return to work for people on sick leave due to common mental disorders.