Health, sleep and professional career in female white-collar workers returning to work after long-term sick-listing due to minor mental disorders

• AIMS:This study is a 3-year follow up of female white-collar workers, who were on long-term sick leave in 2004 due to stress-related and minor mental disorders. The aim is to show what promotes return-to-work (RTW) and the impact of a long period of sickness absence on professional career.METHODS:The study includes a cohort of 233 women who were currently on medically certified sick leave lasting ≥90 days in 2004. A postal questionnaire was sent out after 34 months, regarding self-rated health, quality of sleep, sick-listing status, occupational status, etc.RESULTS:After 34 months, 69% of the women had fully returned to working life. One of the most salient findings is that almost half of those had changed jobs and more than a third were in a new profession. Those who were back in working life rated less negative consequences of the long-term sick-listing on their professional career and their quality of sleep was better (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.50-5.60 "sleeping all night"). Self-rated health did not show significant association with RTW (OR 2.83, 95% CI 0.91-8.77). Those who had returned to working life reported more control over their lives (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.01-3.88).CONCLUSIONS:The findings imply that, in work health promotion and rehabilitation and efforts to prevent sickness absence due to stress-related disorders, important factors to be considered are job mobility, changes in present work, improved sleep, and control over one's own life.

Keyword

job mobility

private sector

RTW

self-rated health

sleep quality

stress management

Working Life Studies

arbetslivsvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)