Facilitators and Barriers of Return to Work in Working People with Serious Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Among working people with serious mental illness (WPSMI), return to work (RTW) is controlled by several factors. Identifying these factors can help prevent long-term sick leave absence and work disability. We aimed to identify facilitators and barriers of RTW in WPSMI admitted to a psychiatric hospital and clinic affiliated with the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in 2020 on 27 participants with SMI and their families, supervisors, coworkers, managers, and mental health professionals (MHPs). The participants were selected through purposive sampling and subjected to semi-structured interviews. Forty interviews were conducted and analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Nine hundred initial codes were extracted and categorized into 34 subcategories and eight categories. Categories that emerged as facilitators of RTW include emotional availability, information availability and use, practical assistance of others, employment facilitation by the society, and supervisor’s flexibility. Categories identified as barriers are imposed effects of mental illness, poor self-concept, and social obstacles. CONCLUSION: WPSMI experience some facilitators and barriers in RTW. Therefore, MHPs and politicians are recommended to consider these factors in vocational rehabilitation plans.