AUTHOR=Schleifer Roman , Gamma Alex , Warnke Ingeborg , Jabat Mounira , Rössler Wulf , Liebrenz Michael 

TITLE=Online Survey of Medical and Psychological Professionals on Structured Instruments for the Assessment of Work Ability in Psychiatric Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00453

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00453

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> To evaluate perceived needs and difficulties related to instruments for assessing work ability in individuals with mental disorders.</p><p><bold>Method:</bold> We conducted an online survey of 104 German-speaking medico-legal experts (forensic psychiatric and psychology experts, insurance physicians) and therapists.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The large majority of respondents reported they would welcome a standardized, structured instrument for the assessment of work ability. High predictiveness, inter-rater agreement, comprehensibility for laymen, and symptom validity were desired in roughly equal measure as the main characteristic of such an instrument. More women than men, and more medico-legal experts than therapists, considered symptom validation as always necessary. Pain, personality, and affective disorders were perceived to be the most difficult disorders in the context of work ability assessments.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our survey documents professionals' wish for a structured assessment of work ability in both medico-legal and therapeutic settings.</p>