Using intervention mapping to develop evidence-based toolkits that support workers on long-term sick leave and their managers
Background
Managing long-term sickness absence is challenging in countries where employers and managers have the main responsibility to provide return to work support, particularly for workers with poor mental health. Whilst long-term sick leave and return to work frameworks and guidance exist for employers, there are currently no structured return to work protocols for employers or for their workers encompassing best practice strategies to support a positive and timely return to work outcome.
Purpose
To utilise the intervention mapping (IM) protocol as a framework to develop return to work toolkits that are underpinned by relevant behaviour change theory targeting mental health to promote a positive return to work experiensce for workers on long-term sick leave.
Additional Files
Using intervention mapping to develop evidence-based toolkits that support workers on long-term sick leave and their managers
- Date Published
- Tue, 2nd Sep 2025
- Publisher
- Springer
- Author
- Jo Yarker
- Reference
- Varela-Mato, V., Blake, H., Yarker, J., Godfree, K., Daly, G., Hassard, J., ... & Munir, F. (2023). Using intervention mapping to develop evidence-based toolkits that support workers on long-term sick leave and their managers. BMC health services researc
- Website
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-023-09952-0
- Categories
- Keywords
- Manager, Return to Work
Background
Managing long-term sickness absence is challenging in countries where employers and managers have the main responsibility to provide return to work support, particularly for workers with poor mental health. Whilst long-term sick leave and return to work frameworks and guidance exist for employers, there are currently no structured return to work protocols for employers or for their workers encompassing best practice strategies to support a positive and timely return to work outcome.
Purpose
To utilise the intervention mapping (IM) protocol as a framework to develop return to work toolkits that are underpinned by relevant behaviour change theory targeting mental health to promote a positive return to work experiensce for workers on long-term sick leave.
