Facilitators, barriers and support needs for staying at work with a chronic condition: a focus group study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Chronic Disease Management
• Workplace Psychology

Background:

• Chronic conditions present significant challenges for maintaining employment.
• Supportive interventions are crucial for preventing work-related issues and promoting sustainable employment for affected workers.
• Understanding lived experiences is vital for developing effective support strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of workers managing chronic conditions.
• To identify facilitators and barriers to staying at work.
• To determine specific support needs for sustainable employment.

Main Methods:

• Conducted four focus groups with 30 participants who have one or more chronic conditions.
• Included both employees and self-employed individuals.
• Employed thematic analysis on verbatim transcriptions of focus group data.

Main Results:

• Personal facilitators include disclosure and expressing needs.
• Environmental facilitators encompass practical information, social support, and employer assistance.
• Barriers exist in the work environment, healthcare system, and service provision, including lack of knowledge and inadequate occupational physician support.

Conclusions:

• Sustainable employment for workers with chronic conditions can be enhanced by addressing environmental barriers.
• Integrating work considerations into chronic condition treatment is recommended.
• Creating supportive work environments is essential for promoting long-term employment.