Justine Labourot ^1,2* Quan Nha Hong ^1,3 Catherine Briand ^2,4 Cynthia Cameron ⁵ Marie-José Durand ^6,7 Nadia Giguère ^8,9 Elyse Marois ¹ Matthew Menear ^10,5 Marielle Trottier ¹¹ Helen-Maria Vasiliadis ^12,13 Brigitte Vachon ^1,2

• ¹ School of Rehabilitation, University of Montreal, Montréal, Canada
• ² Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
• ³ Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• ⁴ Département d'ergothérapie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
• ⁵ Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
• ⁶ École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
• ⁷ Centre d’action en prévention et réadaptation de l’incapacité au travail, Longueuil, Canada
• ⁸ Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
• ⁹ Centre de recherche de Montréal sur les inégalités sociales, les discriminations et les pratiques alternatives de citoyenneté (CREMIS), Montréal, Canada
• ¹⁰ VITAM Research Centre on Sustainable Health, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
• ¹¹ University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• ¹² Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
• ¹³ Charles-Le Moyne Research Center, Longueuil, Canada

Background: People with common mental disorders (CMD) are prone to experience work disabilities, which can lead to sick leave. To support their recovery and return to work, evidence recommends providing a combination of primary care services including psychological and work rehabilitation interventions. Furthermore, interventions to coordinate return to work are required to ensure timely access to services and concerted action among stakeholders. Occupational therapists are qualified to provide these interventions and to facilitate sick leave management. However, current medical practices, lack of collaboration among stakeholders, and lack of occupational therapists working within family medicine groups create highly variable care pathways and delays in access to appropriate services.Aim: This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and explore the effects of an occupational therapistled program integrated within family medicine groups designed to improve the management of CMDrelated sick leave and promote patients' recovery and sustainable return to work in the Canadian province of Québec.Methods: This study will consist of a mixed methods multiple case study design. It will also use a participatory research approach, actively engaging family medicine group team members and patient partners throughout the study. The occupational therapy program will include three components: 1) consultation for prevention of sick leave and support for return-to-work decisions, 2) coordination of recovery and return-to-work services, and 3) provision of recovery and work rehabilitation services adapted to each patient's needs. Questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups will be used to collect data on the eight dimensions of the acceptability model described by Sekhon et al. (2017) and to measure pre-and post-outcomes to assess the effects of the occupational therapy program. Data will be analyzed using the Framework Method and repeated measures statistical analysis.Discussion: We expect that the provision of this innovative occupational therapy program will improve patients' outcomes and the service trajectory of people with CMD. This study will document how to enhance interprofessional collaboration within family medicine groups and to ensure equitable access to work rehabilitation services for all patients, thereby improving recovery and healthy sustainable return-to-work.