Managers' Use of Organizational Resources when Supporting Employees with Common Mental Disorders: A Swedish Qualitative Study.

Abstract

Purpose: Among the diverse tasks of managers, handling employees with common mental disorders (CMDs) is perceived as particularly challenging. Little is known about the organizational resources that managers use in these situations. The aim of this study was to explore the organizational resources that managers use when handling employees with CMDs and how they experience their use.

Methods: An interview study inspired by the critical incident technique was designed. Swedish managers (n = 35) were recruited if they were managers in a private company with at least 50 employees and had experience supporting one or more employees with a CMD in the last 2 years. An incident was defined as a situation when a manager needed to support an employee with a CMD.

Results: The analysis revealed managers' use of seven kinds of resources, and how the resource helped or hindered support to employees: (1) routines and structures; (2) frames for action; (3) training and education; (4) expert functions; (5) safety representatives from worker unions; (6) social support from colleagues and management; (7) interaction with employees. Secondary findings were personal and external resources, widening the study's organizational focus.

Conclusions: This study is one of the first to explore managers' real-life experiences of the support available in their organization when managing employees with CMDs. Managers' experiences may help organizations provide structures for the management of individual cases of CMD at work. Resources flexible to the needs of managers in specific situations were experienced as supportive by participants in this study.