Health, Work and Well-being: supporting workers and Occupational Health Physicians
Strategies to encourage people to return to work. Professor Mansel Aylward CB MD FFOM FRCP Director, UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University & Chair, Wales Centre for Health AylwardM@cardiff.ac.uk www.cf.ac.uk/psych/cpdr/index.html
Manchester Medicolegal Course in Occupational Health 8th February, 2006
Challenges for Occupational Health: Promoting a Life in Work 1. Work and Worklessness 2. Illness, Disability and (in)Capacity for Work 3. Illness behaviour 4. Obstacles to recovery: barriers to (return to) work 5. Absence – the burden on business and society 6. Support into Work
Developing successful strategies: some key elements • Unbundling: Sickness, Disability, Work and Health • Recognition: Sickness and Incapacity are largely social not medical problems • Moving: Medical model to an integrated bio-psychosocial approach • Shifting: Attitudes to health and work (culture change) • Adapting: New concepts for intervention and rehabilitation • Integrating: Getting all stakeholders on side
Work : • Benefits: Symptom management Recovery and Rehabilitation Self-esteem and Confidence Social identity and role Promoting activities and participation Social inclusions and functioning Quality of Life
Worklessness: • Risks and Harm: Loss of fitness Physical and mental determination Psychological distress and depression Loss of work-related habits Increased suicide and mortality Social exclusion Poverty
Long-term worklessness is one of the greatest known risks to public health • Health Risk = smoking 10 packs of cigarettes per day (Ross 1995) • Suicide in young men > 6 months out of work is increased 40 x (Wessely, 2004) • Suicide rate in general increased 6x in longer-term worklessness (Bartley et al, 2005) • Health risk and life expectancy greater than many “killer diseases” (Waddell & Aylward, 2005) • Greater risk than most dangerous jobs (construction/North Sea)
Sickness and disability among main threats to full and happy life; Work incapacity most significant impact on individual, the family, economy and society.
Unbundling illness, sickness, disability and (in)capacity for work • Disease: objective, medically diagnosed, pathology • Illness: subjective feeling of being unwell • Sickness: social status accorded to the ill person by society • Disability: limitation of activities/ restriction of participation • Impairment: demonstrable deviation / loss of structure of function • Incapacity: inability to work associated with sickness or disability **The terms are not synonymous: there is no linear causal chain.
Mental Impairment: Challenges in Understanding and Assessment: • The subjective nature: symptoms, limitations, clinical assessment and diagnosis • Self-reported symptoms assuming underlying psychiatric impairment (tautology) • Mental impairment = specifically and solely abnormalities of mental function demonstrated, assessed and evaluated by objective observer (Mendelson 2004)
Mental Impairment: Challenges in Understanding and Assessment: • Importance of distinguishing mental impairments from subjective descriptions of symptoms / limitations • Clinical Guidelines to the Rating of Psychiatric Impairment (Epstein et al 1998) (Intelligence, Thinking, Perception, Judgement, Mood, Behaviour)
Limited Correlations: The need to ‘unbundle’ Sickness, Disability & Incapacity
Illness Working Economically Inactive
Disability
Prevalence of subjective health complaints in the last 30 days in Nordic adults (after, Eriksen et al, 1998)
Any complaints Substantial complaints Men Women Men Tiredness 46% Worry 38% 39% Depressed 22% Headache 37% Neck pain 27% Arm/shoulder pain Low back pain 32%
Women 56% 13% 28% 51% 41% 28% 37%
17% 15% 4% 9% 38% 13%
>50% reported two or more symptoms
26% 5% 9% 17% 12% 16%
10%
17%
Three year incidence (%) of symptoms in general practice (Total and with organic cause) (Kroenke & Mangelsdorff 1989)
Edinburgh Neurology Study
IB Recipients - Diagnoses Incapacity-related benefit recipients by diagnosis group, November 2003
UK Incapacity Benefit
• ‘Severe Medical Conditions’
<25%
• ‘Common Health Problems’ - Mental health problems - Musculoskeletal conditions - Cardio-respiratory conditions
44% 25% 10%
Common health problems • ‘Subjective health complaints’ (Ursin 1997) – symptoms - self-reported • ‘Unexplained medical symptoms’ (Page & Wessley 2003) – limited objective evidence of disease, damage or impairment • ‘Regional [pain] disorders’ (Hadler 2001) – defining feature is regional symptoms (low back, upper limb, neck etc)
Common health problems
Less severe mental health, musculoskeletal and card respiratory conditions Limited objective evidence of disease Largely subjective complaints Often associated psychosocial issues
Illness Behaviour: What ill people say and do that express and communicate their feelings of being unwell • Not solely dependent on the underlying health condition (the limited correlation) • People with similar illnesses may or may not be incapacitated (Nordic adults) • Roles of attitudes and beliefs, emotions and coping, motivation and effort • The social context and culture
Long-term incapacity is not inevitable • High prevalence in normal population • Most acute episodes settle quickly; most people remain at work or return to work • There is no permanent impairment • Only about 1% go on to long-term incapacity • Essentially people with manageable health problems, given the right opportunities, support & encouragement.
Why do some people not recover as expected?
SOCIAL PSYCHOBIO-
• Bio-psycho-social factors may aggravate and perpetuate disability • They may also act as obstacles to recovery & barriers to return to work
Traditional Concept of Rehabilitation • Secondary intervention - after health care - separate from health care • Address permanent impairment • Restore function (within limitations) • Job placement • Essentially a ‘medical’ intervention on person
Limitations of the Biomedical Model for Common Health Problems • Limited evidence of objective pathology or permanent impairment • Limited correlation physical impairment / disability / incapacity for work • Fails to address psychosocial issues • Treatment ineffective for vocational outcomes
Biopsychosocial Model SOCIAL
PSYCHO-
BIO-
Culture Social interactions The sick role
Illness behaviour Beliefs, coping strategies Emotions, distress Neurophysiology Physiological dysfunction (Tissue damage?)
Strengths of BPS Model • Provides a framework for disability and rehabilitation • Places health condition/disability in personal/social context • Allows for interactions between person and environment • Addresses personal/psychological issues. • Applicable to wide range of health problems
Management of common health problems must address obstacles to recovery and barriers to (return to) work
Components of disability
Barriers to RTW
Rehabilitation interventions
Health- related
Health condition Capy â&#x20AC;&#x201C;v- demands
Clinical management Occupational management
Personal
Psychosocial aspects of work
Change perceptions, beliefs, behaviour
Social
Organisational Attitudinal
Modified work Systems, attitudes
Interactions
General Principles â&#x20AC;˘ Rehabilitation cannot be a second stage after health care has failed. â&#x20AC;˘ Principles of rehabilitation must be integrated into: - clinical management - occupational management
Health care for common health problems Symptomatic relief AND restoration of function â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Every health professional who treats common health problems should be interested in rehabilitation and occupational outcomes.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;
Occupational management
• Common health problems are not a matter for health care alone. • They are equally a matter of ‘occupational health’
Timing
Personal / psychological change
• • • • •
Individual motivation and effort Building capacity Shift perceptions, attitudes & beliefs Change behaviour Improve function
Culture
The collective attitudes, beliefs and behaviour that characterise a particular social group over time
Whither Health Care? • The visit to a health professional – beware iatrogenesis: • what is said can undo what is done • More and better health care is not the answer • Health care needs to work to a new integrated paradigm: – work with employer and worker – use fit notes instead of sick notes!
Sickness and incapacity are social rather than medical problems
Shifting Attitudes to Health & Work Current:
Shift to:
Work is a ‘risk’ and (potentially) harmful to physical and mental health.
Work is generally good for physical and mental health
therefore
and
Sickness absence/certification ‘protects’ the worker/patient from work
Recognise the risks and harm of long term worklessness
Health at Work: • The key idea is that work is healthy • The workplace = environment for promoting health; controlling ill health • Anti-discrimination policy • Health and Safety • Occupational health / VR • Absence Management • A public health issue
PUBLIC SECTOR ABSENCE: • Comparative surveys: average recorded absence in public sector higher than private sector • Comparing like with like? – similar operations show no higher absence in public sector (ie. Call Centres) – public/civil service=broadly typical of large private firms. – In all countries absence in health service is high – Public sector absence = same kind of variation as private sector
Disaggregating Absence • More pronounced among junior grades • Women take more sickness absence than men • Older men average more sickness absence (? health related) • Civil Service – higher SA in front-line services – related to numbers of junior staff. • Public Sector Long-term SA rates but lower selfcertified SA
Ministerial Task Force and Report on Managing Sickness Absence • Managing SA is not “rocket science” • TF concluded 3 fundamental systems – 1. Boards and Senior Management: • a principal function • install strategies • progress report (efficiency reviews/performance partnerships) – 2. MIS • timely data, monitor absence, take action • HR to ensure procedures adhered to
TF’s Recommendations: (fundamental systems)
– 3. HR management systems • managers to receive training in systems and skills • case management referral and RTW discussions • integration of absence and performance management (a key lesson from successful private sector practice)
TF Recommendations: SHORT TERM ABSENCE checks for persistent short term absences • involving OH for absence above certain number of days in 12 month period • daily phone calls/unexpected short term sickness • Monday/Friday checks • Challenge more than 5 days absence • Flexibility around “special leave” – work/life balance
TF Recommendations: LONG TERM ABSENCE: • Collate and analyse literature on sickness causes: – job design – ergonomics – flexibility to personal/motivational problems • Explore non-GP OH services • Intensive study of LTA (“less than full pay”) cases – RTW potential – contract termination • HSE in partnership with public sector on ill-health prevention.
So What? Lessons Learned: • Productivity and Non-attendance (presenteeism, turnover, low morale) are symptoms of wider organisational problems. • Treating symptoms and not the underlying causes won’t improve quality of working life or business performance
Climate: • Moderated by leadership, culture, work organisation, openness, communication, etc • Line Managers key – the prism through whom climate is perceived by employees. • Promote Climate where people allowed to be well.
Keys to health and productivity:
– Good data, trend analysis & monitoring – Role clarity (line, HR, Occ Health, employees) – Differentiate: presenteeism, short-term & long term absence – Intervene early/proactive rehabilitation – Promote the healthy workplace – Positive job design & good line management
UK Government “Pathways to Work” Initiative • Return to Work Payment £40-120 per week • Mandatory Work-Focused Interviews (Case Managers) • New Condition-Management Programmes: (focus: m/s, Mental Health; Cardiorespiratory) - helping people to understand and manage their condition - using CBT and related interventions
Principles of Condition Management: • Voluntary option routed through the PA (Case Managers) • Cognitive/educational interventions common to all conditions • Evidence based • Tailored to individual needs – biopsychosocial approach • Case-managed by CMP in close liaison with PA • Goals “owned”; not imposed.
Contents of CM Programmes
• • • • • •
Cognitive/Educational interventions Understanding and Managing Pain management Confidence building General health advice Individual and group sessions
Pathways to Work pilots
Pathways to Work pilots â&#x20AC;˘ 6-800 new job entries / month in Pathways areas â&#x20AC;˘ On a national basis, that would be equivalent to helping 100,000 IB recipients into work each year.
Successful Strategies: Practical Elements of Condition Management • Address the main health conditions • Clear work focus, vocational goals, outcome measures • Address biological, psychosocial and social components • Address individual’s obstacles to RTW • Increase activity and restore function • Shift beliefs and behaviour using CBT (talking therapies) • Working partnership with Personal Advisors
Condition Management – Successful Strategies: • • • • • •
Make sense of your condition Overcome stress and anxiety Learn to be assertive Promote emotional / physical wellbeing Living with fatigue Living with pain
49% patients have primary and further 39% secondary mental illness diagnosis
GOVERNMENT GREEN PAPER: A new deal for Welfare: Empowering people to work • Aspiration – Employment rate = 80% working population • Reduce – By 1 million the number on IB – Numbers leaving work place due to illness • New – Employment and Support Allowance Allowing payments to most severely disabled people • Transforming the PCA (focus on mental health) • Conditionality: Work Related Interviews and Action Plans
A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work • Supporting GPs • Improving access to good-quality Occupational Health Support • Facilitate better absence management • Pathways to Work – extending provision across country by 2008
The Scientific and Conceptual Basis of Incapacity Benefits
Gordon Waddell and Mansel Aylward
The vision - Changing the world Changing the culture – of health, sickness, disability, incapacity and work. • • • • •
General public / society Workers Health Professionals Employers Government
Not just a matter of economics and business efficiency it is about health at work and fulfilling potential.
Professor Mansel Aylward CB
Contact: Email:
AylwardM@Cardiff.ac.uk
Website: http://www.cf.ac.uk/psych/cpdr/index.html http://www.wch.wales.nhs.uk