Intervention and control condition
SESSION
The intervention consisted of the implementation of RTW experts in the intervention wards [According to the manual RTW experts offered five structured sessions to patients during the inpatient stay (Session 1: Assessment; Session 2: Information about RTW measures/legal framework; Session 3: Disclosure; Session 4: Planning of RTW talks with supervisors; and Session 5: Planning of further support by RTW expert after discharge from hospital) and three sessions after discharge from hospital (including the possibility of a joint discussion with the employer). The services of the RTW experts could be claimed by the patients during inpatients stay and for up to half a year after discharge. The minimum of intervention was defined as at least two meetings between RTW experts and patients—one appointment during the inpatient stay and one after release (“per protocol”). RTW experts aimed at activating existing support services of the hospitals (e.g., work therapy, cognitive training, and socio-educational counseling) and to offer specific support (e.g., joint meetings between clients, employers, and RTW experts), if there was a limitation of resources. Overall, this intervention was oriented toward the competencies (and capacities) of social workers in mental health in order to facilitate implementation into routine care in case of positive study results.Staff (and patients) of the control wards acted under “TAU” conditions. To avoid contamination bias as much as possible (i.e., staff or patients from control wards getting to know about the RTW intervention), wards were chosen in a way so that there was no overlap in personnel and that there was no regular patient transfer between wards.