A multidisciplinary stress programme to reduce sick leave
Author(s): Bo Netterstrøm & Per Bech Country: Denmark
Is the intervention sector specific?	No
Is the intervention usable with different enterprise sizes?	Yes
Is the intervention equally applicable to both genders?	Yes
Is the intervention based on theory?	Yes
Can the intervention approach be adapted/ tailored?	Yes
Does the intervention promote CSR and how?	The intervention was not explicitly linked to responsible business practices although it does promote employee well-being
Does the intervention promote social dialogue and how?	Social dialogue was not a key component of this intervention
Overview (including risk assessment and law – legal requirements etc.): A multidisciplinary stress management was administered to employees referred to the Stress Clinic, part of the Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Hillerød Hospital, Denmark. The key objective of this programme was to have a positive effect on the return to work rate of employees suffering from stress-related distress. These individuals came from a variety of jobs and professions, and were from a wide range of ages (25-61).
Implementation: Employees were referred to participate in this programme by their General Practitioner. The multidisciplinary stress management programme consisted of several stages: • Identification of relevant stressors • Changing the coping strategies of the participants • Decreasing the workload and tasks • Relaxation techniques • Physical exercise • Psychiatric evaluation if there were a high score on the depression Each patient attended six one-hour sessions during four months approximately
Practical applications: All sessions of the multidisciplinary stress programme were carried out by a specialist in occupational medicine.
Innovative aspects: This stress management programme uses a multidisciplinary focus to address both the elements of work design and the working environment, and promoting positive coping strategies and the promotion of health-enhancing behaviours.
Evaluation (including process issues, outcomes and sustainability): The effectiveness of this multidisciplinary stress programme was assessed by comparing a set of individuals who participated in the intervention, to a group of employees referred to the Clinic of Occupational Medicine by their General Practitioners served as a control group (non-intervention group). The individuals were assessed at a one-hour consultation prior to beginning the intervention and after four months. Additionally, individuals were asked to fill out a series of questionnaires, examining levels of depression and stress symptoms prior to beginning the intervention, following four months, one and two years after the completion of the intervention.
Benefits (including cost effectiveness): The evaluation of the multidisciplinary stress programme demonstrated several positive benefits experienced by the participants. Namely, the level of sick leave in the stress management group dropped from 53 to 17 % during the first year of follow-up and continued to remain stable. In both groups, stress symptoms and depression scores decreased significantly during the four months and again during the next eight months. The decrease in depression symptoms was significantly higher in the stress management group as compared to the non intervention group. The multidisciplinary stress programme demonstrated showed a significant effect on the return.
References: Netterstrøm, B., & Bech, P (2008). The effect of a multidisciplinary stress programme on sick leave. Poster presented at the Work, Stress and Health Conference: Health and Safe Work through Research, Practice and Partnerships, APA/NIOSH, Washington D.C.
Comments: For the non-intervention group, the reduction in sick leave was significantly lower. Additionally, no significant difference between the intervention and non-intervention groups was observed after one and two years.