The ‘Support 2 Work’ initiative, led by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and the University of York, will assess “the social and economic impacts of employment advisors on improving mental health and the way people do their jobs.”
The project has received funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) Work and Health Research Initiative.
Professor Rowena Jacobs, deputy head of department at the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York, said: “One in five workers have a mental health problem and many people with mental health problems are not working.
“This has a big impact on people, employers, the NHS, and the economy.”
The study will examine whether different groups benefit more or less from seeing an employment advisor, with the aim of reducing healthcare costs and improving the economy.
Professor Jacobs added: “There are currently no studies that have looked at the NHS Talking Therapies Employment Advisors programme in detail – therefore, ‘Support 2 Work’ will be the first of its kind, and provide an insight into the service’s effectiveness.”
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and CEO of the NIHR, said: “Investing in research to support employees to stay healthy and remain in work is crucial for the future of our economy.”
Datasets and interviews will be among the research-gathering methods, and the research will take three years to complete.
