Mental disorders are common disorders. About 30% of the general population suffers from any mental illness. People with mental illness have problems with life coping, especially in areas that have little tolerance for deviations from the norm, such as the workplace.
On the one hand, work is an important resource in life, which for many people means not only earning wages but also social integration, recognition and identity building. However, there are several factors in the workplace that may trigger anxiety - among healthy people and even more so among people with mental illnesses. These factors include rivalries and rank fights among colleagues, sanctioning and supervising superiors, employee rankings, monitoring employees’ computers, risk of accidents, and uncertainties concerning operational alterations or even employment safety. Studies conducted since 2004 show that about 30-60% of patients in medical rehabilitation are affected by any type of work-anxiety. Among mentally healthy professionals, about 5% reported that they had already been on sick leave because of intolerable problems at work.
An RCT study showed that treatment approaches targeting a specific and action-oriented analysis of the current work situation, and practical exercises to cope with these, proved to be particularly effective.
In ongoing research we identify whether and how work-related capacity impairments and activity are addressed in outpatient treatment.