Protecting and promoting mental health of nurses in the hospital setting: Is it cost-effective from an employer’s perspective?

• Authors: Cindy Noben , Silvia Evers , Karen Nieuwenhuijsen , Sarah Ketelaar , Fania Gärtner , Judith Sluiter , Filip Smit

Abstracts

EN

Objectives Nurses are at elevated risk of burnout, anxiety and depressive disorders, and may then become less productive. This begs the question if a preventive intervention in the work setting might be cost-saving from a business perspective. Material and Methods A cost-benefit analysis was conducted to evaluate the balance between the costs of a preventive intervention among nurses at elevated risk of mental health complaints and the cost offsets stemming from improved productivity. This evaluation was conducted alongside a cluster-randomized trial in a Dutch academic hospital. The control condition consisted of screening without feedback and unrestricted access to usual care (N = 206). In the experimental condition screen-positive nurses received personalized feedback and referral to the occupational physician (N = 207). Results Subtracting intervention costs from the cost offsets due to reduced absenteeism and presenteeism resulted in net-savings of 244 euros per nurse when only absenteeism is regarded, and 651 euros when presenteeism is also taken into account. This corresponds to a return-on-investment of 5 euros up to 11 euros for every euro invested. Conclusions Within half a year, the cost of offering the preventive intervention was more than recouped. Offering the preventive intervention represents a favorable business case as seen from the employer’s perspective.

Keywords

EN

cost benefit; Mental Disorders; nurses; occupational health; prevention; work functioning

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 891-900

Dates

published

2015

Contributors

author

Cindy Noben

• Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Utrecht, the Netherlands (Department of Public Mental Health)
• Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands (Department of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care)

author

Silvia Evers

• Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Utrecht, the Netherlands (Department of Public Mental Health)
• Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands (Department of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care)

author

Karen Nieuwenhuijsen

• Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Coronel Institute of Occupational Health)

author

Sarah Ketelaar

• Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Coronel Institute of Occupational Health)

author

Fania Gärtner

• Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Coronel Institute of Occupational Health)

author

Judith Sluiter

• Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Coronel Institute of Occupational Health)

author

Filip Smit

• Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Utrecht, the Netherlands (Department of Public Mental Health)
• VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research)
• VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Department of Clinical Psychology, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00465

Biblioteka Nauki

2177223