Thrivers, survivors or exiteers: A longitudinal, interpretative phenomenological analysis of the post-return-to-work journeys for workers with common mental disorders

The research on return to work for workers with common mental disorders has primarily focused on the pre-return journey. Relapses and recurrent sick leaves are prevalent and call for research on how we can support workers stay and thrive at work after long-term sickness absence due to common mental disorders. In the present study, we used Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experiences of returned workers' post-return journey and the barriers and facilitators to staying and thriving at work. We conducted monthly semistructured interviews with seven returned workers over a period of 4 months. We identified three post-return trajectories: the thrivers, the survivors and the exiteers. We identified 10 higher order themes and 13 subthemes that influenced these trajectories. At the individual level, wanting to make a valuable contribution and job crafting facilitated a sustainable return. At the group level, we identified social support as a facilitator. At the leader level, line managers making work adjustments and recognising workers as valuable were important, whereas a lack of understanding and conflicts with senior management posed as barriers. At the overarching level, the media influenced organisational values. Our findings have important implications for how organisations can facilitate a whole systems approach to support returned workers and prevent sickness absence reoccurrence and job loss.