Managers' Use of Organizational Resources when Supporting Employees with Common Mental Disorders: A Swedish Qualitative Study.

Findings are managers' retrospective accounts of selected critical incidents, not measured outcomes for employees or the organization. The sample was limited to 35 managers in Swedish private companies with at least 50 employees, so it may not transfer to public, tax-funded organizations or smaller companies. Swedish labour-market, union, safety-representative and sickness-insurance rules form part of the context, which may differ in other welfare systems. Because managers said encountering employees with common mental disorders is rare, the incidents recalled may be disproportionately difficult, and the authors identify this as recall bias. Only a small number of managers from the service-sector pink-collar group were included, which may reduce transferability to workplaces where the main work object is human beings. Five managers initially scheduled were excluded because they did not meet inclusion criteria or withdrew without explanation. Cases involving alcohol abuse were included although interviews asked for depression, anxiety or exhaustion, because managers sometimes described alcohol abuse in relation to common mental disorders.

Do not read these resource categories as a tested intervention that will improve employee mental health or return-to-work outcomes. The study reports managers' experiences of resources they used, and the authors state that intervention studies are needed to establish effectiveness.