Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Return to Work After Temporary Disability Pension in Finland

  • Published:
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose When it is possible that the employee’s work ability can be restored through treatment or rehabilitation, disability pension in Finland is granted for a fixed period. We examined which factors are associated with return to work (RTW) after such temporary disability pension. Methods The study included all Finnish residents whose temporary disability pension from the earnings-related pension system started in 2008 (N = 10,269). Competing risks regression analysis was applied to examine register-based determinants for RTW after temporary disability pension due to mental disorders, musculoskeletal diseases, other diseases, and injury over a 4-year follow-up period. Results The overall cumulative incidence of RTW was 25 %. RTW was more probable after temporary disability pension due to injury and musculoskeletal diseases and less probable after temporary disability pension due to mental disorders. Younger age and higher education increased RTW but differences between genders, private and public sector employees, and occupational classes were relatively small. The probability of RTW was higher among those who were employed before their temporary disability pension (subhazard ratio in multivariate analysis 2.41 (95 % CI 2.13–2.72) and among the 9 % who participated in vocational rehabilitation during their pension [SHR 2.10 (95 % CI 1.90–2.31)]. With some exceptions, the results were fairly similar for all diagnostic causes of temporary disability pension. Conclusion Return to work after temporary disability pension was relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, in all diagnostic groups RTW continued for the whole follow-up period. The low educated and those not employed before temporary disability pension need more support in their RTW. The strong association between vocational rehabilitation and RTW suggests that increasing rehabilitation among those with impaired work ability may promote RTW.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Christensen K, Doblhammer G, Rau R, Vaupel JW. Ageing populations: the challenges ahead. Lancet. 2009;374(9696):1196–208.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Doyle Y, McKee M, Rechel B, Grundy E. Meeting the challenge of population ageing. BMJ. 2009;339:b3926.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Sickness, disability and work: breaking the barriers. A synthesis of findings across OECD countries. Paris: OECD; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Niemelä H, Salminen K. Social security in Finland. Helsinki: Social Insurance Institution, Finnish Centre for Pensions, Finnish Pension Alliance and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health; 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pensioners and Insured in Finland 2012. Official Statistics of Finland, Social Protection. Helsinki: Finnish Centre for Pensions and Keva; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Henderson M, Glozier N, Elliott KH. Long term sickness absence. BMJ. 2005;330:802–3.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dekkers-Sánchez PM, Hoving JL, Sluiter JK, Frings-Dresen MHW. Factors associated with long-term sick leave in sick-listed employees: a systematic review. Occup Environ Med. 2008;65:153–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Blank L, Peters J, Pickvance S, Wilford J, Macdonald E. A systematic review of the factors which predict return to work for people suffering episodes of poor mental health. J Occup Rehabil. 2008;18:27–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Cornelius LR, Klink JJL, Groothoff JW, Brouwer S. Prognostic factors of long term disability due to mental disorders: a systematic review. J Occup Rehabil. 2010;21:259–74.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Detaille SI, Heerkens YF, Engels JA, van der Gulden JWJ, van Dijk FJH. Common prognostic factors of work disability among employees with a chronic somatic disease: a systematic review of cohort studies. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2009;35:261–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Krause N, Frank JW, Dasinger LK, Sullivan TJ, Sinclair SJ. Determinants of duration of disability and return-to-work after work-related injury and illness: challenges for future research. Am J Ind Med. 2001;40:464–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Wynne-Jones G, Cowen J, Jordan JL, Uthman O, Main CJ, Glozier N, van der Windt D. Absence from work and return to work in people with back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med. 2014;71:448–56.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Berecki-Gisolf J, Clay FJ, Collie A, McClure RJ. Predictors of sustained return to work after work-related injury or disease: insights from workers’ compensation claims records. J Occup Rehabil. 2012;22:283–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Franche RL, Cullen K, Clarke J, Irvin E, Sinclair S, Frank J. Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review of the quantitative literature. J Occup Rehabil. 2005;15:607–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Statistics Finland. Classification of socio-economic groups. Handbooks 17. Helsinki: Central Statistical Office of Finland; 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fine J, Gray R. A proportional hazards model for the subdistribution of a competing risk. J Am Stat Assoc. 1999;94:496–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Putter H, Fiocco M, Geskus RB. Tutorial in biostatistics: competing risks and multi-state models. Stat Med. 2007;26:2389–430.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Post M, Krol B, Groothoff JW. Self-rated health as a predictor of return to work among employees on long-term sickness absence. Disabil Rehabil. 2006;28:289–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. De Rijk A, Janssen N, Alexanderson K, Nijhuis F. Gender differences in return to work patterns among sickness absentees and their associations with health: a prospective cohort study in The Netherlands. Int J Rehabil Res. 2008;31:327–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Brouwer S, Reneman MF, Bültmann U, van der Klink JJ, Groothoff JW. A prospective study of return to work across health conditions: perceived work attitude, self-efficacy and perceived social support. J Occup Rehabil. 2010;20:104–12.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hardeveld F, Spijker J, De Graaf R, Nolen WA, Beekman AT. Prevalence and predictors of recurrence of major depressive disorder in the adult population. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2010;122:184–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pensioner and Insured in Finland 2008. Official Statistics of Finland, Social Protection. Helsinki: Finnish Centre for Pensions, Keva and the State Treasury; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Sickness, disability and work: breaking the barriers, vol. 3. Paris: OECD; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Vlasveld M, van der Feltz-Cornelis C, Bültmann U, Beekman ATF, van Mechelen W, Hoedeman R, Anema J. Predicting return to work in workers with all-cause sickness absence greater than 4 weeks: a prospective cohort study. J Occup Rehabil. 2011;22:1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  25. von Celsing AS, Svärdsudd K, Eriksson HG, Björkegren K, Eriksson M, Wallman T. Determinants for return to work among sickness certified patients in general practice. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:1077.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Piccinelli M, Wilkinson G. Gender differences in depression. Critical review. Br J Psychiatry. 2000;177:486–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Virtanen M, Kawachi I, Oksanen T, Salo P, Tuisku K, Pulkki-Råback L, Pentti J, Elovainio M, Vahtera J, Kivimäki M. Socio-economic differences in long-term psychiatric work disability: prospective cohort study of onset, recovery and recurrence. Occup Environ Med. 2011;68:791–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Johansson G, Hultin H, Möller J, Hallqvist J, Kjellberg K. The impact of adjustment latitude on self-assessed work ability in regard to gender and occupational type. Scand J Occup Ther. 2012;19:350–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vermeulen SJ, Tamminga SJ, Schellart AJ, Ybema JF, Anema JR. Return-to-work of sick-listed workers without an employment contract: what works? BMC Public Health. 2009;14:232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Ahlgren Å, Bergroth A, Ekholm J, Schüldt K. Work resumption after vocational rehabilitation: a follow-up two years after completed rehabilitation. Work. 2007;28:343–54.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Vermeulen SJ, Anema JR, Schellart AJ, van Mechelen W, van der Beek AJ. Intervention mapping for development of a participatory return-to-work intervention for temporary agency workers and unemployed workers sick-listed due to musculoskeletal disorders. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:216.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hoefsmit N, Houkes I, Nijhuis FJ. Intervention characteristics that facilitate return to work after sickness absence: a systematic literature review. J Occup Rehabil. 2012;22:462–77.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Schandelmaier S, Ebrahim S, Burkhardt SC, de Boer WE, Zumbrunn T, Guyatt GH, Busse JW, Kunz R. Return to work coordination programmes for work disability: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PLoS One. 2012;7:e49760.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Kuoppala J, Lamminpää A. Rehabilitation and work ability: a systematic literature review. J Rehabil Med. 2008;40:796–804.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. van Oostrom SH, Driessen MT, de Vet HC, Franche RL, Schonstein E, Loisel P, van Mechelen W, Anema JR. Workplace interventions for preventing work disability. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009;15(2):CD006955.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Gensby U, Labriola M, Irvin E, Amick BC III, Lund T. A classification of components of workplace disability management programs: results from a systematic review. J Occup Rehabil. 2014;24:220–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical standard

The dataset consists of register data which were anonymized and not possible to trace back to individuals. The Finnish Centre for Pensions obeys the ethical standards of The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity and monitors that responsible scientific practice is followed in collecting, analysing and reporting of data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Finnish Centre for Pensions, 00065, Eläketurvakeskus, Finland

    Mikko Laaksonen & Raija Gould

Authors
  1. Mikko Laaksonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Raija Gould
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mikko Laaksonen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Laaksonen, M., Gould, R. Return to Work After Temporary Disability Pension in Finland. J Occup Rehabil 25, 471–480 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9554-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9554-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation