ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-A) offers easily accessible, short-term support for employees experiencing psychological stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate aspects of the implementation regarding announcement, access, and use of the PTA. METHODS: The study was conducted as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) called "Early Intervention in the Workplace". Forty-six company actors answered a questionnaire about how the companies announced the PTA to their employees, the barriers in the announcement of the PTA, and the beneficial factors of using the PTA. The access routes of the 550 participating employees were used from the baseline data of the RCT. Seven company actors were qualitatively interviewed about their expectations of the PTA and 22 participants of the RCT were interviewed about their experiences accessing and using the PTA. RESULTS: The company actors hoped that the PTA would have an impact on all levels of prevention. Most companies announced the PTA centrally (e.g., flyers and intranet) as well as through individual recommendations (e.g., through the company's social counselling and occupational health professionals). Employees appreciated the opportunity to participate anonymously in the central announcement. Advantages of the supportive access were seen in the accessibility of employees without treatment experience, employees with high levels of suffering, and employees who have not yet recognized their own need for treatment. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that it is useful to announce the PTA centrally to all employees but also to recommend it personally to affected employees. By using both methods, different PTA target groups can be reached and the advantages of anonymous participation are retained.
