Department for Health Sciences, University West, SE-461 86, Trollhattan, Sweden.
Insurance Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
J Occup Rehabil. 2022 Dec;32(4):685-696. doi: 10.1007/s10926-022-10029-8. Epub 2022 Mar 4.
Understanding of the capacity to work among employees with common mental disorders (CMDs) is important, but contemporary knowledge on this issue lacks the managers' perspective. The aim of this study was to explore and describe managers' experience-based understanding of capacity to work in employees with CMD.
A qualitative focus group study was designed. Managers with experience in supporting employees with CMD were recruited via organizations and networks. Eight focus group interviews with 31 participants took place.
The analysis resulted in five categories. (1) Capacity to mentally focus on work tasks decreases or disappears, with negative consequences for work output. (2) Capacity to commit to continuous and coherent task changes, making tasks that span longer periods of time difficult. (3) Capacity to independently adapt to the needs of the situation decreases, and employees need more guidance and instructions than usual. (4) Capacity to keep up professional appearances is reduced, and the employees struggle with the professional role. (5) Ability to interact socially and professionally decreases, which potentially causes conflicts at the workplace.
This study adds managers' perspective to the increasing knowledge on how capacity to work is influenced by CMDs. Managers understand CMDs in employees as changed, reducing the capacities needed for occupational functioning. A deeper understanding of reduced capacity to work is needed to adapt workplaces, and our findings can facilitate work accommodations for employees with CMDs.
了解患有常见精神障碍（CMD）的员工的工作能力非常重要，但目前关于这个问题的知识缺乏管理者的视角。本研究旨在探讨和描述管理者对患有 CMD 的员工工作能力的基于经验的理解。
设计了一项定性焦点小组研究。通过组织和网络招募有经验支持患有 CMD 的员工的管理人员。共进行了 8 次有 31 名参与者参加的焦点小组访谈。
分析结果产生了五个类别。（1）专注于工作任务的精神能力下降或消失，对工作产出产生负面影响。（2）持续和连贯地完成任务变化的能力下降，使得需要更长时间跨度的任务变得困难。（3）适应情况需求的独立能力下降，员工需要比平时更多的指导和说明。（4）保持专业形象的能力降低，员工在职业角色中挣扎。（5）社交和专业互动的能力下降，这可能会在工作场所引发冲突。
本研究增加了管理者对 CMD 如何影响工作能力的知识的视角。管理者将员工的 CMD 理解为能力的改变，降低了职业功能所需的能力。需要更深入地了解工作能力的降低，以适应工作场所，我们的研究结果可以为患有 CMD 的员工提供工作适应。
