ronment and the person. Work ability is not considered an independent attribute of the individual, but includes the work environment and context.¹⁶ Mental health is an important part of a person's work ability, but is often ignored or relegated to second place. Maintaining work ability and functional capacity requires a joint effort by the employer, the employee, and the occupational health service to provide support during the entirety of a worker's career.

Rehabilitation

 

Traditionally, rehabilitation has been divided into vocational, educational, medical, or social rehabilitation. Rehabilitation services for people with mental health problems are also referred to for psychiatric, psychosocial, or psychological rehabilitation. The Finnish Rehabilitation Foundation, however, recommends the term "mental health rehabilitation," since it also covers people with mental health problems such as burnout or severe stress who are not diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. Mental health rehabilitation covers early rehabilitative activities and prevention of mental health problems in the workplace.

In Finland, the Social Insurance Institution (SII) and labour authorities have prime responsibility for organising vocational rehabilitation.¹⁷ The SII is required by law to provide vocational rehabilitation for people with impaired functional capacity and medical rehabilitation for people with severe disabilities. In addition, a person can be paid a rehabilitation allowance in connection with rehabilitation services arranged by the SII, or the primary health care, social services, or occupational health care services. The allowance is paid only if the purpose of the rehabilitation is to help the client remain in, enter, or return to the workforce.

In 1997 17% of those receiving rehabilitation from SII were diagnosed with mental health and behavioural disorders. The following charts illustrate the national expenditure on different types of rehabilitation benefits and the major diagnosis groups of benefit recipients in 1997.¹⁸