Back to Journals » Psychology Research and Behavior Management » Volume 5

Day treatment of patients with severe work-related complaints

Authors Meesters Y, Horwitz, van Velzen

Received 20 February 2012

Accepted for publication 2 April 2012

Published 31 May 2012 Volume 2012:5 Pages 57—63

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S31032

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Ybe Meesters, Ernst H Horwitz, Carol JM van Velzen

University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands

Abstract: A day treatment program was developed for patients suffering with severe work-related complaints who were unable to function at work because of this. The program consisted of a number of treatment modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, protocolized nonverbal therapies, and activation. The main objective of all these therapies was to analyze participants' personal qualities and vulnerabilities when functioning at work and to teach them new coping strategies and social skills to reduce their vulnerability in stressful situations. The results of the program were assessed in terms of scores on a number of self-rating questionnaires and hours spent at work. In a follow-up assessment one year after the original program had finished, we found a significant reduction in complaints and an increase in the number of hours spent on the job. At the start of the program, patients worked 25.2% of their contracted hours; a year later, this had increased to 77.3%. Even though this natural field study has its limitations, the results of the day treatment program seem very promising.

Keywords: work-related stress, burnout, day treatment

 

Creative Commons License © 2012 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.