Implementation of psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-A): expectations, announcement, and use

(in German)

Introduction: Psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-A) offers easily accessible, short-term support for employees experiencing psychological stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate aspects of the implementation regarding announcement, access, and use of the PT‑A.

Methods: The study was conducted as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) called "Early Intervention in the Workplace". Forty-six company actors answered a questionnaire about how the companies announced the PT‑A to their employees, the barriers in the announcement of the PT‑A, and the beneficial factors of using the PT‑A. The access routes of the 550 participating employees were used from the baseline data of the RCT. Seven company actors were qualitatively interviewed about their expectations of the PT‑A and 22 participants of the RCT were interviewed about their experiences accessing and using the PT‑A.

Results: The company actors hoped that the PT‑A would have an impact on all levels of prevention. Most companies announced the PT‑A centrally (e.g., flyers and intranet) as well as through individual recommendations (e.g., through the company’s social counselling and occupational health professionals). Employees appreciated the opportunity to participate anonymously in the central announcement. Advantages of the supportive access were seen in the accessibility of employees without treatment experience, employees with high levels of suffering, and employees who have not yet recognized their own need for treatment.

Discussion: The results suggest that it is useful to announce the PT‑A centrally to all employees but also to recommend it personally to affected employees. By using both methods, different PT‑A target groups can be reached and the advantages of anonymous participation are retained.

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Bibliographic information

Title:  Implementierung einer psychotherapeutischen Sprechstunde am Arbeitsplatz (PT-A): Erwartungen, Bekanntmachung und Nutzung. Ergebnisse der friaa-Studie

Written by:  F. Kohl, U. B. Schröder, R. Stegmann, U. Wegewitz, N. Hander, M. Hansmann, P. Angerer, Y. Erim, S. Hondong, C. Kröger, N. Mulfinger, T. Waldmann, K. Herrmann, J. Weber

in: Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz, 2024.  pages: 1-10, Project number: F 2525, DOI: 10.1007/s00103-024-03909-2

Further Information

Research Project

Project numberF 2525 StatusOngoing Project Formative qualitative evaluation of an early intervention at the workplace (FRIAA) for employees with common mental disorders

To the Project

Research ongoing