Recovery-Related Return-to-Work Experiences of People with Common Mental Disorders within Australia's...

Common mental disorders are a leading cause of work disability and long-term income protection claims in Australia. Although recovery-oriented approaches are increasingly embedded in mental health care, their relevance to return-to-work within disability-based insurance systems remains underexplored. This study explored the mental health recovery-related return-to-work experiences of people with common mental disorders engaged with Australia's income protection insurance system.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 adults who had sustained their return-to-work for at least six months following a common mental disorder-related income protection claim. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively, and data were analysed inductively using constant comparative analysis.

Participants' recovery-related return-to-work experiences comprised three overarching processes: (1) an internal and personal process of growth; (2) negotiating and navigating workplace environments and roles; and (3) accessing and engaging with helpful supports. These processes were shaped by (4) broader contextual influences.

Findings indicate that recovery constructs, widely used in mental health service contexts, also resonate within this specific return-to-work context. However, recovery-related return-to-work is shaped not only by individual recovery processes but also by workplace conditions, relational supports, and broader contextual influences such as financial circumstances and stigma. Supporting sustainable return-to-work for people living with common mental disorders may therefore require approaches that integrate recovery-oriented principles into workplace and system-level practices. Further exploration is needed to understand system-level barriers and enablers influencing the income protection return-to-work workforce's ability to adopt the recovery-oriented supports and practices highlighted by participants.