Return to work among employees with mental health problems: Development and validation of a self-efficacy questionnaire |
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Authors: | Suzanne E Lagerveld Roland WB Blonk Veerle Brenninkmeijer Wilmar B Schaufeli |
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Institution: | 1. TNO Quality of Life/Work &2. Employment , Hoofddorp, The Netherlands suzanne.lagerveld@tno.nl;4. Employment , Hoofddorp, The Netherlands;5. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology , Utrecht University , Utrecht, The Netherlands;6. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology , Utrecht University , Utrecht, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Abstract Because of the costs to both the organization and the individual, it is important that employees who are sick-listed with mental health problems are facilitated in their return to work (RTW). In order to provide adequate interventions, it is necessary to obtain a better understanding of the RTW process of people with mental health problems. Work-related self-efficacy (SE) might play a key role within this process. This paper describes the development and validation of the return-to-work self-efficacy’ scale (RTW-SE) for employees with mental health problems. Three Dutch samples of sick-listed employees were used to validate the 11-item instrument (N=2214). Based on the factor structure and reliability results, RTW-SE was conceptualized as a unitary construct. The associations with general SE, locus of control, coping, physical workload and mental health problems support the construct validity of this scale. Most importantly, RTW-SE proved to be a robust predictor of actual return to work within three months. The encouraging preliminary psychometric properties of the scale make it a potentially valuable tool in research and in clinical practice and occupational health care settings, both before and after employees have returned to work. |
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Keywords: | instrument validation self-efficacy return to work mental health occupational health work disability work-related stress |
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