TY - JOUR

T1 - Health, work, and personal-related predictors of time to return to work among employees with mental health problems.

AU - Nielsen, Maj Britt D.

AU - Bültmann, Ute

AU - Madsen, Ida E.H.

AU - Martin, Marie

AU - Christensen, Ulla

AU - Diderichsen, Finn

AU - Rugulies, reiner

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Purpose: To identify health-, personal- and work-related factors predictive of return to work (RTW) in employees sick-listed due to common mental health problems, such as, stress, depression, burnout, and anxiety. Methods: We distributed a baseline questionnaire to employees applying for sickness absence benefits at a large Danish welfare Department (n = 721). A total of 298 employees returned the questionnaire containing information on possible predictors of RTW. We followed up all baseline responders for a maximum of one year in a national registry of social transfer payments, including sickness absence benefits. Results: At baseline, about 9% of respondents had quit their job, 10% were dismissed and the remaining 82% were still working for the same employer. The mean time to RTW, measured from the first day of absence, was 25 weeks (median = 21) and at the end of follow-up (52 weeks) 85% had returned to work. In the fitted Cox model we found that fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for depression predicted a longer time to RTW (HR: 0.61, CI: 0.45–0.84), whereas a better self-rated health predicted a shorter time to RTW (HR: 1.18, CI: 1.03–1.34). Employees working in the municipal (HR: 0.62, CI: 0.41–0.94) and private sector (HR: 0.65, CI: 0.44–0.96) returned to work slower compared to employees working in the governmental sector. Gender, education, cohabitation, size of workplace, lowback and upper-neck pain and employment at baseline did not predict RTW. Conclusion: Our results indicate that time to RTW is determined by both health- and work-related factors.

AB - Purpose: To identify health-, personal- and work-related factors predictive of return to work (RTW) in employees sick-listed due to common mental health problems, such as, stress, depression, burnout, and anxiety. Methods: We distributed a baseline questionnaire to employees applying for sickness absence benefits at a large Danish welfare Department (n = 721). A total of 298 employees returned the questionnaire containing information on possible predictors of RTW. We followed up all baseline responders for a maximum of one year in a national registry of social transfer payments, including sickness absence benefits. Results: At baseline, about 9% of respondents had quit their job, 10% were dismissed and the remaining 82% were still working for the same employer. The mean time to RTW, measured from the first day of absence, was 25 weeks (median = 21) and at the end of follow-up (52 weeks) 85% had returned to work. In the fitted Cox model we found that fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for depression predicted a longer time to RTW (HR: 0.61, CI: 0.45–0.84), whereas a better self-rated health predicted a shorter time to RTW (HR: 1.18, CI: 1.03–1.34). Employees working in the municipal (HR: 0.62, CI: 0.41–0.94) and private sector (HR: 0.65, CI: 0.44–0.96) returned to work slower compared to employees working in the governmental sector. Gender, education, cohabitation, size of workplace, lowback and upper-neck pain and employment at baseline did not predict RTW. Conclusion: Our results indicate that time to RTW is determined by both health- and work-related factors.

U2 - 10.3109/09638288.2011.641664

DO - 10.3109/09638288.2011.641664

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22200251

VL - 34

SP - 1311

EP - 1316

JO - Disability and Rehabilitation

JF - Disability and Rehabilitation

SN - 0963-8288

IS - 15

ER -