At Work and Coping - Effect Study of Workcoping for Patients With Anxiety and Depression (AWaC)

At Work and Coping - Effect Evaluation of Center for Workcoping for Patients With Anxiety and Depression

Mental disorders, mainly various anxiety and depressive disorders, are an increasing reason for sick leave and disability pension. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been shown to have an effect on anxiety and depression, but the investigators know little about this in relation to employment. Close follow-up in ordinary employment increase employment participation for serious mental illness, but this is not yet investigated to the same degree for lighter mental disorders. Center for Work-Coping (No: "Senter for Jobbmestring" - SJM) combines Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and individual placement and support (IPS) and facilitation of work for people with anxiety and depression who are in danger of falling out of work. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the model in SJM. The effect will be evaluated through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants will be randomized to SJM or regular follow-up by The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) or by their regular general practitioners (GP) and self-help resources. The main outcome measures are work participation with changes in mental health as a secondary outcome.

Anxiety, Depression, Vocational Rehabilitation, Common Mental Disorders, Mental Health Problems, Work Related Therapy

Maximum 15 sessions of CBT-based counseling with workcoping as primary focus in addition to work support according to the IPS-model (individual placement and support)

Secondary outcomes are reductions in psychopathology measured through validated questionnaires (e.g. HADS).

Inclusion Criteria: Problems coping with work due to psychological illness (anxiety and depression) Reasonable closeness to work (possible to return within a year) Exclusion Criteria: Other reasons as primary cause of work problems Serous psychiatric disorders Suicide risk Pregnancy Ongoing psychological treatment (therapy) Ongoing substance abuse

Lovvik C, Overland S, Hysing M, Broadbent E, Reme SE. Association between illness perceptions and return-to-work expectations in workers with common mental health symptoms. J Occup Rehabil. 2014 Mar;24(1):160-70. doi: 10.1007/s10926-013-9439-8.

Lovvik C, Shaw W, Overland S, Reme SE. Expectations and illness perceptions as predictors of benefit recipiency among workers with common mental disorders: secondary analysis from a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2014 Mar 3;4(3):e004321. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004321.

Reme SE, Grasdal AL, Lovvik C, Lie SA, Overland S. Work-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy and individual job support to increase work participation in common mental disorders: a randomised controlled multicentre trial. Occup Environ Med. 2015 Oct;72(10):745-52. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102700. Epub 2015 Aug 6.

Overland S, Grasdal A, Reme SE. Trial participant representativeness compared to ordinary service users in a work rehabilitation setting. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2015 Dec 17;2:12-15. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2015.12.005. eCollection 2016 Apr 15.

Olsen IB, Overland S, Reme SE, Lovvik C. Exploring Work-Related Causal Attributions of Common Mental Disorders. J Occup Rehabil. 2015 Sep;25(3):493-505. doi: 10.1007/s10926-014-9556-z.

Overland S, Grasdal AL, Reme SE. Long-term effects on income and sickness benefits after work-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy and individual job support: a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Occup Environ Med. 2018 Oct;75(10):703-708. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2018-105137. Epub 2018 Jul 21.

http://uni.no/nb/uni-helse/stress-helse-og-rehabilitering/effektevaluering-av-senter-for-jobbmestring/