Development of a return-to-work intervention for burned-out employees: professionals' perspectives

Burnout is a work-related mental health problem often leading to long-term sickness absence. Research on which return-to-work (RTW) interventions for sick-listed employees with burnout are the most effective in preventing long-term work disability shows no conclusive results.

This study aims to investigate the experiences and needs of (occupational) healthcare professionals in supporting the RTW process of employees with burnout. It is part of a larger mixed-methods study focused on developing and implementing an RTW intervention, in the form of a care pathway, for employees suffering from burnout.

We conducted nine focus groups with (occupational) healthcare professionals using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. Thematic content analysis was employed to explore the perspectives of these professionals.

A total of thirty-nine professionals participated in the study. Participants described several obstacles in supporting the RTW process of sick-listed employees with burnout: (i) challenges for healthcare professionals in diagnosing burnout and challenges for employees in accepting burnout (ii) diverging opinions on burnout follow-up during sick leave (iii) the need for workplace support (iv) communication needs between (occupational) healthcare professionals. We propose a care pathway that addresses these needs.

This study provides insights into the practical challenges and unmet needs faced by (occupational) healthcare professionals, which are addressed by the return-to-work care pathway for employees with burnout proposed in this article.