I am one of the coordinators for the Psychology Law Evidence Database (PLED), a comprehensive, continuously updated, freely available database of selected scientific papers about psychology and law for policy makers, stakeholders, the general public, practitioners, and researchers.

One recently published study featured on the PLED, “Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders” provides a synthesis of qualitative research for factors that are barriers to successful return to work and things that promote a successful return to work.

Some findings include:

• ongoing impairments from mental and physical symptoms
• difficulty setting limits after returning to work, even if gradual, despite knowing the accommodation/modification to their position was important for effective coping
• reduced work hours alone was not sufficient for a successful return to work, other accommodations were needed (e.g., modified responsibilities and workload).

I particularly appreciate the authors efforts to frame the barriers and promotors of successful returns in the biopsychosocial model. The authors state (pp. 100-101):

Our meta-synthesis identified obstacles in all three components of the [biopsychosocial] model: i) exhaustion, reduced concentration, and forgetfulness can be seen as an obstacle at the biological level; (ii) perfectionism, a high sense of responsibility and low self-efficacy can be seen as obstacles at the psychological level; and (iii) low social support and lack of coordination between the systems can be seen as obstacles at the social level.”

Abstract:

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate which opportunities and obstacles employees with common mental disorders (CMD) experience in relation to return to work (RTW) and how they perceive the process of returning to work. In addition, the study explores what characterizes an optimal RTW intervention and points to possible ways to improve future interventions for employees with CMD. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted, and eight qualitative studies of medium or high quality published between 1995-2011 were included in this systematic review. The eight studies were synthesized using the meta-ethnographic method.
Results This meta-synthesis found that employees with CMD identify a number of obstacles to and facilitators of returning to work related to their own personality, social support at the workplace, and the social and rehabilitation systems. The employees found it difficult to decide when they were ready to resume work and experienced difficulties implementing RTW solutions at the workplace.
Conclusions This study reveals that the RTW process should be seen as a continuous and coherent one where experiences of the past and present and anticipation of the future are dynamically interrelated and affect the success or failure of RTW. The meta-synthesis also illuminates insufficient coordination between the social and rehabilitation systems and suggests how an optimal RTW intervention could be designed.

Andersen, M. F., Nielsen, K. M., & Brinkmann, S. (2012). Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders. Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 93-104.

For information on the article and other psychology law evidence on various topics see the Psychology Law Evidence Database.