Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39833850›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Referring psychiatric patients to occupational health services for earlier return to work - a qualitative implementation study of barriers and facilitators.

Mikko Henriksson, Christina Tikka, Pirjo Juvonen-Posti, Marianna Virtanen, Tuula Oksanen

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Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Mikko Henriksson *Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Unit of Work Ability and Working Careers, Topeliuksenkatu 41b, Työterveyslaitos, P.O. Box 40, Helsinki, 00032, Finland. mikko.henriksson@ttl.fi.
Christina Tikka *University of Eastern Finland, School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Yliopistonranta 1, Kuopio, 70210, Finland. christina.tikka@uef.fi.
Pirjo Juvonen-PostiFinnish Institute of Occupational Health, Unit of Work Ability and Working Careers, Topeliuksenkatu 41b, Työterveyslaitos, P.O. Box 40, Helsinki, 00032, Finland.
Marianna VirtanenUniversity of Eastern Finland, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Yliopistokatu 2, 80100 Joensuu, P.O. Box 111, Joensuu, 80101, Finland.
Tuula OksanenUniversity of Eastern Finland, School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Yliopistonranta 1, Kuopio, 70210, Finland.

Funding

European Social Fund Plus S22459
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMental disorders are a major public health challenge, and their prevalence is globally increasing. They substantially affect work ability, quality of life, and the number of years of disability. A new model for referring psychiatric patients to occupational health services (OHS) aims to improve the continuity of care and to promote the early return to work (RTW) of workers with diagnosed mental health conditions. The purpose of this qualitative implementation study was to identify the facilitators of and barriers to implementing the new model.

methodsWe used the Quality Implementation Framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as theoretical frameworks. We interviewed the developers of the model and the psychiatrists and occupational health physicians who deliver it. We invited forty participants to join the study, 17 of whom consented. We conducted nine semi-structured group and individual interviews. Data analysis consisted of analysing the sessions, systematically coding the transcribed texts according to the main domains of CFIR, thematic analysis, and identifying the overarching themes and context-related mechanisms.

resultsWe identified three overarching themes crucially related to the implementation of the model: uncertainty about the scope and boundaries of the cooperation in the model, ambiguity about the size of the target group, and the existing sociocultural and self-stigma related to mental illness. Shared belief in the importance and the positive effects of the model and trust in the developers were the main facilitators of the implementation of the model. The main barriers were the limited availability of the e-referral system between the psychiatrists and OHS, uncertainty regarding the number of eligible patients, and the low number of actual referrals during implementation.

conclusionCollaborative models in mental health care should accommodate various stakeholders from different sectors involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of workers with diagnosed mental health conditions. Helping health care workers contact possible cooperation partners and knowing how to address important individual, workplace-related and sociocultural factors such as stigma may strengthen collaboration between different sectors and stakeholders in mental health care. Future studies should focus on the multi-actor feasibility of the new collaborative models and include the patients' perspective.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersOccupational Health ServicesReferral and ConsultationReturn to WorkAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSocial StigmaCFIRCooperation between health care providersDigital/electronic referralImplementation researchMental health disordersOccupational health services (OHS)Psychiatric careRTWSickness absenceWork disability

Identifiers

PMID39833850
PMCPMC11748852

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.