Effects on work ability, job strain and quality of life of monitoring depression using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent general practitioner consultations: A randomized controlled study.
E-L Petersson, C Wikberg, J Westman and 3 others
PMID 29733038WHAT IT FOUND
Adding structured depression self-assessment to GP visits improved patients' perceived work ability at 3 months and increased perceived social support at 12 months.
However, it did not reduce job strain, improve quality of life, or shorten sick leave compared to usual care.
Key findings
01Patients in the intervention group showed a significantly steeper increase in work ability scores at 3 months compared to the control group, but this difference disappeared by 6 and 12 months.
02At the 12-month follow-up, a significantly higher frequency of patients in the intervention group perceived high social support at work compared to the control group.
03The intervention had no significant effect on job strain, quality of life, or the frequency and duration of sick leave.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The intervention combined regular GP visits with self-assessment, making it impossible to separate the effect of the monitoring tool from the effect of seeing the doctor more frequently. The study did not collect information on the participants' specific workplaces, so the context of the social support findings is unclear. Only employed patients were included, so the results do not apply to those already out of work or unemployed. The initial gain in work ability was temporary and not sustained at 6 or 12 months.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that depression self-assessment instruments directly cause return to work or reduce sick leave. The study found no significant difference in sick leave duration or frequency between the groups, and the improvement in work ability was short-lived.