Personal assistant – a challenging occupation? Personal assistants’ and employers’ experiences of facilitators and barriers for return to work after sickness absence due to Common Mental Disorders

Research problem and specific questionsThe profession of publicly financed personal assistant provides opportunities for persons with disabilities (‘assistance users’) to participate fully in society.

The profession has specific working conditions that make it essential to study from a health perspective: personal assistants work in various environments, they often work alone in the user’s home, under varying terms of employment depending on whether the assistance organizer is private, public, cooperative or the users themselves.

Moreover, the profession has high levels of sickness absence, is female-dominated, low-waged, and requires no formal education.

Therefore, research on how health and the work environment interact in this profession is necessary to ensure a sustainable working life.

Previous research has highlighted the importance of employers (with responsibility for safety and health at work) in the return to work process.The aim is to examine personal assistants’ and their employers’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers for return to work after sickness absence due to common mental disorders (CMDs).Data and MethodThe project has a qualitative approach.

Data will be collected through two semi-structured interviews three months apart with 20–25 personal assistants and 20–25 employers/ managers.Societal relevance and utilisationCMDs are common causes of sickness absence, and women have a higher risk of becoming sick-listed than men. The profession of personal assistants suffers from high sickness absence and various insecure working conditions.

Knowledge should be translated into practical measures through collaboration, remain sensitive to the legal rights of assistance users, and be useful in employers’ occupational safety and health management.Plan for project realisationThe main costs consist of salaries for the projects’ researchers.

Additional costs include fees for ethical review, transcription services, language review, and collaboration.