by University of Eastern Finland

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

There is new research data on the reduction of mental health-related incapacity for work. An implementation study was carried out on the MYÖTE operational model. The model increases co-operation between occupational health services and other social welfare and health care sector parties in the treatment of mental health disorders. Supporting return to work requires more co-operation between different parties and considering the stigma related to the topic.

Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the University of Eastern Finland studied factors that promote and prevent the implementation of the MYÖTE operational model. The study has been published in BMC Health Services Research.

Even professionals may have prejudices about mental disorders

Significantly reducing recovery times has previously succeeded in other patient groups by enhancing the collaboration between public and occupational health care using the TYÖOTE operational model. The MYÖTE operational model also enhances co-operation between psychiatric specialist health care and occupational health care.

"Even occupational health care professionals may have negative prejudices related to mental health disorders. It is important to focus on supporting the return to work of people suffering from mental health disorders with the same enthusiasm as, for example, after joint replacement surgery," says Chief Specialist Pirjo Juvonen-Posti. There is also a need for support at workplaces, both from supervisors and colleagues.

"Unfortunately, the stigma or embarrassment often associated with mental health disorders and processing it must be taken into account when adopting the operational model more widely in the future.

"It is also particularly important to understand that there are several different parties and operators involved in the treatment of mental disorders, and the implementation of the model is not as straightforward as in orthopedics," says Mikko Henriksson, Senior Specialist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

For example, different well-being services counties may have different ways of organizing mental health care and rehabilitation. Occupational health care professionals may not have a sufficient overview of how treatment is organized in their own well-being services county.

More co-operation is needed

The MYÖTE operational model focuses on developing co-operation, in particular between psychiatric specialist health care and occupational health care using an electronic referral. However, the electronic referral practice is not yet ready everywhere, and the one-way practice still needs further development.

The treatment of mental disorders should therefore be developed as a whole, in a process that closely involves the relevant primary health care and rehabilitation parties. That is the best way to fulfill the role of occupational health care in coordinating work ability.

The various parties' shared belief in the usefulness of the MYÖTE operational model and trust in its developers promoted the deployment of the model. There was also trust in the ability of occupational health care personnel to assess and support returning to work.

More information: Mikko Henriksson et al, Referring psychiatric patients to occupational health services for earlier return to work – a qualitative implementation study of barriers and facilitators, BMC Health Services Research (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-12238-2

Provided by University of Eastern Finland