1. Introduction
mood disorders, anxiety, anxiety/depression, reported reduced self-stigma, presenteeism, depression
DISORDERS
Workplace accommodations can improve work functioning for employees with mental health concerns, yet few employees receive accommodations. The current study examined the benefits of providing education on workplace accommodations. In total, 89 participants with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety were randomized to an online psychoeducation course or wait-list control (WLC). The course provided education on symptoms, accommodations, tips for requesting accommodations and making disclosures, and coping strategies. Primary outcomes included the impact of the course on requesting and receiving accommodations, accommodation knowledge, self-stigma, and workplace relationships at 8 weeks post-randomization. Additional analyses examined the impact of the course on symptoms, absenteeism, presenteeism, and self-efficacy and whether supervisory leadership and organizational inclusivity impact disclosure and accommodation use. Participants in the course reported improvements in accommodation knowledge, self-efficacy, and presenteeism compared to the WLC. Both groups reported reduced self-stigma and increased disclosures over time. Specifically, partial disclosures were associated with supportive organizations and supervisors. No group differences were found on accommodation use, symptoms, workplace relationships, or comfort with disclosure. Few participants made accommodation requests, therefore a statistical analysis on requesting or receiving accommodations was not performed. Overall, providing psychoeducation has the potential to assist individuals with depression and anxiety who may require workplace accommodations, but further research is required.Existing research on workplace accommodations has focused on accommodations for physical disabilities with limited research on mental health accommodations [Mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent psychological disorders, with a reported yearly prevalence of up to 11.3% in Canada [Workplace accommodations may be one way to mitigate the impact of anxiety and mood disorders [Importantly, there is evidence that the implementation of workplace accommodations can lead to improved mental health symptoms, job tenure and interpersonal relationships [In contrast, disclosing a mental health concern may help to facilitate the accommodation process and is often a precursor to receiving many workplace accommodations [The current randomized controlled trial explored the efficacy of an online psychoeducational course on workplace mental health accommodations, called the “Workplace Coping Strategies Course” (WCSC), which aimed to improve employees’ knowledge and use of mental health accommodations for anxiety and depression symptoms relative to a wait-list control (WLC) group. The primary hypotheses were that participants in the WCSC relative to WLC would: (1) report making more accommodation requests and would receive more accommodations; (2) have lower self-stigma attitudes; (3) have increased knowledge of accommodations for anxiety and/or depression; and (4) have decreased incidences of interpersonal conflict at work at an 8-week follow-up. Second, it was hypothesized that if employees were provided with accommodations to address their mental health concerns, they would experience improvements in presenteeism, self-efficacy, and anxiety/depression symptoms. Finally, it was hypothesized that higher ratings of supportive supervisory leadership and organizational inclusivity would be associated with higher rates of receiving accommodations and workplace disclosures.