The clinical and occupational effectiveness of condition management for Incapacity Benefit recipients

OBJECTIVES. The aim of the Condition Management Programme (CMP) is to help Incapacity Benefit recipients manage their health conditions more effectively and return to work. This paper seeks to examine the clinical and employment outcomes from a group-based and mixed-condition CMP. DESIGN. In a prospective cohort design, measures of employment status and psychological well-being were taken at three time points; pre-CMP, post-CMP, and at 3-month follow-up. METHOD. Participants (N= 2,064) with a variety of physical and mental health conditions voluntarily attended a seven session cognitive-behaviourally informed psychoeducational group intervention. The psychological measures used were the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Intrinsic Motivation Scale. The employment status of participants was also measured at the three time points of the evaluation. RESULTS. Following CMP, 50% of participants experienced a reliable improvement in psychological well-being and 26% had either taken some steps towards work or returned to work at follow-up. Participants with a mental health condition were more likely to experience a reliable improvement in psychological well-being compared to those with physical health conditions. CONCLUSIONS. The results suggest that participation in CMP may be helpful in facilitating more effective self-management of the health conditions contributing to unemployment. The results have implications for whether formal employment assistance should be available in mental health services.