“Self-efficacy” used to sound more like a sneeze to me than anything meaningful. (Not to undervalue the power of sneezing – don’t try it with your eyes open; trust me, this Superdoc has saved more eyes almost lost to sneezes than I’d care to recall.)

When taken as more than sneeze-ish, however, and in the context of return to work, self-efficacy really packs a punch. It’s is the belief that you’ll cope with whatever life brings you.

Let me fill you in on who needs help with self-efficacy the most, and why it’s in your interest to dish that help out in generous portions.

People who believe they’ll cope have a much better chance of actually coping.  When they believe they’ll cope they find ways of doing it.  They explore options, have a clearer head (all sneezing aside), and can assess other pathways to find ways of sorting things out.

At the other end of the spectrum is the person without self-efficacy who doesn’t believe they’ll cope. It may be they don’t think they’ll cope with the minor car bingle they have, which leaves them worried for days.  Or they’re distressed about their elbow pain, but it’s easier to do the housework yourself and exacerbate the pain, than to work at asking the teenage kids to do some.

How can someone with poor self-efficacy be identified? It’s not that hard - often it’s your gut reaction to the person, but simply asking them how they’re think they’re going to cope with the situation or how easy or hard it’ll be to cope will provide your answer.

If a person is going to find return to work challenging because they are not confident in their abilities, there’s a fair chance that they’ll have other issues in their life which are hard.  Helping them sort those out, either through some constructive discussions or an Employee Assistance Program, leaves them feeling supported and more likely to work with you in partnership.

If little things like vacuuming are hard, imagine how difficult it would be to deal with the complexities of insurance claims, returning to work, and running the gauntlet of investigations and treatment.

Problem-solving mechanisms aren’t able to work to their fullest potential without self-efficacy to fuel them.

People with little or no self-efficacy are those that need help the most in return to work. It’s important for doctors to recognise people in this situation. Often they look distressed so they’re more likely to get more tests and more treatment, which in turn can be counterproductive.

Empowering the person with tools to help themselves can have a better effect, and both doctors and employers can provide these tools.

There is actually a lot that can be done to help: 

• Ensure that the person understands their self-efficacy problem (doctor and employer)
• Let them know they’re well-supported (doctor and employer)
• Give them knowledge about their options and a sense of direction (doctor and employer)
• Pair the person up with a mentor in the workplace to metaphorically ‘hold their hand’, and be there for them. That person may not do anything in particular, but just knowing someone’s there for us is important (employer).

Teaching problem-solving skills reduces the time they’re off work with their injury. It is the people with low self-efficacy that need – more than anyone – these skills, as well as co-workers to be on board and to be supportive. It’s also important that the supervisor can work with co-workers to make sure the person is welcomed back to work.

A person with a good sense of self-efficacy will believe in their own recovery and work towards rehabilitation much faster and more effectively than someone without. It’s a vital ingredient in successful return to work.

Self-efficacy!!!

Bless you.