[Interdisciplinary Care of Employees with Mental Disorders: A Fact Check Using the Salzgitter-Model as an Example].
OBJECTIVE
Mental disorders are quite common among employees, and cause enormous economic costs. The Salzgitter-Model aims at an early recognition of mental disorders in employees of raw material processing industries by rendering a diagnostic examination (DE), so that appropriate health-care services may be provided promptly.


METHODS
Data of a consecutive sample consisting of 133 mentally ill employees (61% men) were analyzed. Mental disorders were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Moreover, routine data of company health insurance funds collected in the 6 months preceding the DE were evaluated.


RESULTS
On average, the DE was conducted 14 days after application. Half the diagnoses were of mood disorders, while almost one third consisted of neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders. For 63% of diagnoses from the DE, a correspondence was found with diagnoses made by practitioners during standard care over the previous 6 months. Of these employees, 42% received drug therapy. However more than one fifth did not receive guideline-based psychopharmacological treatment. Psychological symptoms and work-related factors were the main reasons for utilization of the DE. No employee had received psychotherapeutic treatment prior to the DE; more than 90% accepted the recommendation of treatment after the DE.


CONCLUSIONS
Strengthened interdisciplinary cooperation can improve the utilization of an employee group that usually does not seek out specific diagnostic examinations and psychotherapeutic treatment.
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Psychologie, Psychotherapieambulanz.
Katharina
K
Bode
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Psychologie, Psychotherapieambulanz.
Eva-Maria
EM
Wunsch
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Psychologie, Psychotherapieambulanz.
Friederike
F
Finger
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Psychologie, Psychotherapieambulanz.
Christoph
C
Kröger
D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D000070516:Intersectoral Collaboration; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs