The Constituents of Trust in the Context of Return to Work Following a Work Disability: A Scoping Review and a Thematic Analysis.

Purpose: Trust is key to a successful return to work following a work disability. Its constituents, which have been widely documented in social and management sciences research, are not addressed in return to work (RTW) research. This study therefore aims to portray the constituents of trust that have been documented in the context of RTW following an absence due to musculoskeletal disorder or a common mental disorder.

Method: A scoping review was performed using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidelines. Studies were extracted from six databases using keywords like trust, RTW/disability, and musculoskeletal/common mental disorders. Study selection and analysis were conducted in Covidence by two reviewers independently. An Excel framework served to record the constituents of trust (i.e., antecedents, attributes, and consequences) identified in accordance with a thematic analysis approach.

Results: From the 2795 references extracted, 30 studies were selected, 73% of which were published in the Last 10 years. All three constituents were documented, mainly in the dyadic relationship between the worker returning to work and other stakeholders. Yet, some known antecedents of trust remain underexplored and new consequences emerge. Support also appears to be both an antecedent and a consequence, which encourages reflection on the possibility of trust reciprocity.

Conclusion: While the constituents of trust involved in RTW were documented, they should be tested empirically, and some constituents and relationships need further exploration. Recommendations to improve trust between stakeholders are proposed.