The psychiatric patient at work

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Psychiatry
• Human resources management

Background:

• Workplace psychiatric issues can impact employee job performance.
• Early intervention and support are crucial for employee retention and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of psychiatric consultations on IBM employees' job performance.
• To assess the long-term effectiveness of workplace mental health support.

Main Methods:

• Conducted psychiatric consultations for 135 IBM employees referred by management, medical, or self-referred.
• Coordinated treatment with job requirements through interviews and meetings.
• Followed up for 2-3 years to assess job performance and retention.

Main Results:

• 61.7% of employees were retained after 2-3 years.
• 59.0% of employees initially performing unsatisfactorily showed satisfactory performance at follow-up.
• Significant improvements in job performance were observed post-consultation.

Conclusions:

• Workplace psychiatric care is effective in improving employee job performance and retention.
• A dedicated medical department with consultation facilities aids in secondary and tertiary prevention of mental health issues.
• An optimistic approach to working patients with psychiatric disease is warranted.