Article

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,
low-back 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.

Langue : ANGLAIS