Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Early and Late Return to Work After Sick Leave: Predictors in a Cohort of Sick-Listed Individuals with Common Mental Disorders

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

Abstract

Objectives The study aims to identify individual and workplace factors associated with early return to work (RTW)—defined as within 3 months—and factors associated with later RTW—between 3 and 12 months after being sick-listed—in a cohort of newly sick-listed individuals with common mental disorders. Methods In a prospective cohort study, a cross-sectional analysis was performed on baseline measures of patients granted sick leave due to common mental disorders. A total of 533 newly sick-listed individuals fulfilled the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate. A baseline questionnaire was sent by post within 3 weeks of their first day of certified medical sickness; 354 (66 %) responded. Those who were unemployed were excluded, resulting in a study population of 319 individuals. Sick leave was recorded for each individual from the Social Insurance Office during 1 year. Analyses were made with multiple Cox regression analyses. Results Early RTW was associated with lower education, better work ability at baseline, positive expectations of treatment and low perceived interactional justice with the supervisor. RTW after 3 months was associated with a need to reduce demands at work, and turnover intentions. Conclusions Early RTW among sick-listed individuals with common mental disorders seems to be associated with the individual’s need to secure her/his employment situation, whereas later RTW is associated with variables reflecting dissatisfaction with work conditions. No health measures were associated with RTW. The study highlights the importance of considering not only health and functioning, but also workplace conditions and relations at the workplace in implementing RTW interventions.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Social Insurance in Figures. Stockholm, Social Insurance Office; 2004.

  2. Hensing G, Spak F. Psychiatric disorders as a factor in sick leave due to other diagnoses: a general populations-based study. Br J Psychiatry. 1998;172:250–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Nystuen P, Hagen KB, Herrin J. Mental health problems as a cause of sick leave in the Norwegian work force. Scand J Public Health. 2001;29:175–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Roelen CAM, Norder G, Koopmans PC, van Rhenen W, van der Klink JJL, Bültmann U. Employees sick-listed with mental disorders: who returns to work and when? J Occup Rehabil. 2012;22:409–4017.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. OECD. Sick on the job? Myths and realities about mental health at work. 2011. http://www.oecd.org/els/emp/sickonthejob2011.htm.

  6. Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Sederer LI, Mark TL. The business case for quality mental health services: why employers should care about the mental health and well-being of their employees. J Occup Environ Med. 2002;44:320–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lagerveld SE, Bültmann U, Francche RL, van Dijk FJH, Vlasveld MC, van der Feltz-Conelis CM, Bruinvels DJ, Huijs JJJM, Blonk RWB, van der Klink JJL, Nieuwenhuijsen K. Factors associated with work participation and work functioning in depressed workers: a systematic review. J Occup Rehabil. 2010;20:275–92.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Taloyan M, Aronsson G, Leineweber C, Magnusson Hansson L, Westerlund H, Leineweber C. Sickness presenteeism predicts suboptimal self-rated health and sickness absence: a nationally representative study of the Swedish working population. PLoS One. 2012;9:e44721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Sverke M, Hellgren J, Näswall K. No security: a meta-analysis and review of job insecurity and its consequences. J Occup Health Psychol. 2001;7:242–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Virtanen M, Kawachi I, Oksanen T, Salo P, Tuisko K, et al. Socioeconomic 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 

  11. Semmer NK, Tscan F, Maier LL, Facchin S, Jacobshagen N. Illegitimate tasks and counterproductive work behavior. Appl Psychol. 2010;59:70–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Nieuwenhuijsen K, Bruinvels D, Frings-Dresen M. Psychosocial work environment and stress-related disorders, a systematic review. Occup Med. 2010;60:277–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rugulies R, Aust B, Madsen IEH, Burr H, Siegrist J, Bültmann U. Adverse psychosocial working conditions and risk of severe depressive symptoms. Do effects differ by occupational grade? Eur J Public Health. 2012;23:415–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Borritz M, Christensen KB, Bultmann U, Rugulies R, Lund T, Andersen I, Villadsen E, Diderichsen F, Kristensen TS. Impact of burnout and psychosocial work characteristics on future long-term sickness absence. Prospective results of the Danish PUMA Study among human service workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2010;52(10):964–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Zapf D. Organisational, work group related and personal causes of mobbing/bullying at work. Int J Manpow. 1999;20:70–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Brouwers EPM, Terluin B, Tiemens BG, Verhaak PFM. Predicting return to work in employees sick-listed due to minor mental disorders. J Occup Rehabil. 2009;19:323–32.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Knudsen AK, Harvey SB, Mykletun A, Ǿverland S. Common mental disorders and long-term sickness absence in a general working population. The Hordaland Health Study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2013;127:287–97.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Van der Klink JJ, Blonk RW, Schene AH, van Dijk FJ. Reducing long term sickness absence by an activating intervention in adjustment disorders: a cluster randomized controlled design. Occup Environ Med. 2003;60:429–37.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Furlan AD, Gnam WH, Carnide N, Irvin E, Amick III BC, De Rango K, et al. Systematic review of intervention practices for depression in the work place. Canada: Institute of Work and Health, February 2011. http://www.iwh.on.ca/sys-reviews/workplace-depression-interventions.

  20. Wåhlin C, Ekberg K, Persson J, Bernfort L, Öberg B. Association between clinical and work-related interventions and return-to-work for patients with musculoskeletal or mental disorders. J Rehabil Med. 2012;44:355–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Loisel P, Durand P, Abenhaim L, et al. Management of occupational back pain: the Sherbrooke model. Results of a pilot and feasibility study. Occup Environ Med. 1994;51:597–602.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Andersen MF, Nielsen KM, Brinkmann S. Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2012;38:93–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Virtanen P, Vahtera J, Nakari R, Pentti J, Kivimäki M. Economy and job contract as contexts of sickness absence practices: revisiting locality and habitus. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58:1219–29.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Post M, Krol B, Groothoff JW. Work-related determinants of return to work of employees on long-term sickness absence. Disabil Rehabil. 2005;27:481–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Arends I, van der Klink JCL, van Rhenen W, de Boer MR, Bültmann U. Prevention of recurrent sickness absence in workers with common mental disorders: results of a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Occup Environ Med. 2014;71:21–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ervasti J, Vahtera J, Pentti J, Oksanen T, Ahola K, Kivimäki M, Virtanen M. Depression-related work disability: socioeconomic inequalities in onset, duration and recurrence. PLOS One. 2013;8:e79855.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Nieuwenhuijsen K, Verbeek JHAM, de Boer AGEM, Blonk RWB, van Dijk FJH. Predicitng the duration of sickness absence for patients with common mental disorders in occupational health care. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2006;32:67–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Dolan P, Gudex C, Kind P, Williams A. Modeling Valuations for EuroQol Health States. Med Care. 1997;35:1095–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. The EuroQol Group. EuroQol: a new facility for the measurement of health related quality of life. Health Policy. 1990;16:199–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Shirom A, Melamed S, Toker S, Berliner S, Shapira I. Burnout and health review: current knowledge and future research directions. In: Hodgkinson GP, Ford JK, editors. International review of industrial and organizational psychology, vol. 20. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press; 2005. p. 269–309.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Main CJ, Wood PL, Hollis S, Spanswick CC, Waddell G. The Distress and Risk Assessment Method. Spine. 1992;17:42–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Åkerstedt T, Knutsson A, Westerholm P, Theorell T, Alfredsson L, Kecklund G. Sleep disturbances, work stress and work hours. A cross-sectional study. J Psychosom Res. 2002;53:741–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Feise RJ, Menke JM. Functional Rating Index. A new valid and reliable instrument to measure the magnitude of clinical change in spinal conditions. Spine. 2001;26:78–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Tuomi K, Ilmarinen J, Jahkola A, Katajarinne L, Tulkki A. Work ability index. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health; 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Pearlin LI, Lieberman MA, Menaghan EG, Mullan JT. The stress process. J Health Soc Behav. 1981;22:337–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Lambeek LC, van Mechelen W, Buijs PC, Loisel P, Anema JR. An integrated care program to prevent work disability due to chronic low back pain: a process evaluation within a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009;10:147.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Altmaier E, Russell D, Kao C, Lehmann T, Weinstein J. Role of self-efficacy in rehabilitation outcome among chronic low back pain patients. J Couns Psychol. 1993;40:335–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Street JH, Barlow W. Predicting poor outcomes for back pain seen in primary care using patients’ own criteria. Spine. 1996;21:2900–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Undén AL, Orth-Gomér K. Development of a social support instrument for use in population surveys. Soc Sci Med. 1989;29:1387–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Siegrist J, Wege N, Puhlhofer F, Wahrendorf M. A short generic measure of work stress in the era of globalization: effort-reward imbalance. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009;82:1005–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Siegrist J, Starke D, Chandola T, Godin I, Marmot M, Niedhammer I, Peter R. The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58:1483–99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Moorman RH. Relationship between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behaviors: do fairness perceptions influence employee citizenship? J Appl Psychol. 1991;76:845–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Liljegren M, Nordlund A, Ekberg K. Psychometric evaluation and further validation of the Hagedoorn et al. modified EVLN measure. Scand J Psychol. 2008;49:169–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Hagedoorn M, van Yperen N, van der Vliet E, Buunk B. Employees’ reactions to problematic events: a circumplex structure of five categories of responses, and the role of job satisfaction. J Organ Behav. 1999;20:309–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Liljegren M, Ekberg K. Job mobility as predictor of health and burnout. J Occup Organ Psychol. 2009;82:317–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Strindlund L, Ekberg K. Employees at the county council of Östergötland on long-term sick leave. Diagnoses, work conditions and needs for rehabilitation interventions. IHS, Linkoping University, report 2004:1. (In Swedish).

  47. Nilsing E, Söderberg E, Berterö C, Öberg B. Primary healthcare professionals’ experiences of the sick leave process: a focus group study in Sweden. J Occup Rehabil. 2013;23:450–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Löve J, Hensing G, Holmgren K, Torén K. Explaining the social gradient in sickness absence: a study of a general working population in Sweden. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:545.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Bertilsson M. Work capacity and mental health: the phenomena and their importance in return to work. Dissertation. Institute of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. 2014.

  50. Sandmark H, Renstig M. Understanding long-term sick leave in female white-collar workers with burnout and stress-related diagnoses: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 2010;10(1):210.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Holmgren K, Dahlin Ivanoff S. Women on sickness absence-views of possibilities and obstacles for returning to work. A focus group study. Disabil Rehabil. 2004;26:213–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Argyris C. Understanding organizational behavior. Michigan: Dorsey Press; 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Nieuwenhuijsen K, Verbeek JHAM, de Boer AGEM, Blonk RWB, van Dijk FJH. Supervisory behaviour as a predictor of return to work in employees absent from work due to mental health problems. Occup Environ Med. 2004;61:817–23.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Lemieux P, Durand M-J, Nha Hong Q. Supervisors’ perception of the factors influencing the return to work of workers with common mental disorders. J Occup Rehabil. 2011;21:293–303.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Conklin MH, Desselle SP. Job turnover intentions among pharmacy faculty. Am J Pharm Educ. 2007;71:62.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Coomber B, Barriball KL. Impact of job satisfaction components to leave and turnover for hospital-based nurses: a review of job-related and non-related factors. Int J Nurs Stud. 2007;44:297–314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Aronsson G, Göransson S. Permanent employment hut in a non-preferred occupation: psychological and medical aspects, research and implications. J Occup Health Psychol. 1999;4:152–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Wilk SL, Sackett PR. Longitudinal analysis of ability-job complexity fit and job change. Pers Psychol. 1996;49:937–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Henrik Magnusson for skilful statistical analyses. The study was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE), and the County Council of Ostergotland, Sweden.

Conflict of interest

Author Kerstin Ekberg declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Charlotte Wåhlin declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Jan Persson declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Lars Bernfort declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Birgitta Öberg declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Health, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden

    Kerstin Ekberg

  2. Helix Vinn Excellence Centre, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Kerstin Ekberg

  3. Intervention and Implementation Research Unit, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Charlotte Wåhlin

  4. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Charlotte Wåhlin

  5. Division of Health Care Analysis, Department of Medicine and Health, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Jan Persson & Lars Bernfort

  6. Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Medicine and Health, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Birgitta Öberg

Authors
  1. Kerstin Ekberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Charlotte Wåhlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jan Persson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lars Bernfort
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Birgitta Öberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerstin Ekberg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ekberg, K., Wåhlin, C., Persson, J. et al. Early and Late Return to Work After Sick Leave: Predictors in a Cohort of Sick-Listed Individuals with Common Mental Disorders. J Occup Rehabil 25, 627–637 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-015-9570-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-015-9570-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation