Medicalization of sickness absence

Area of Science:

• Public Administration
• Sociology of Health
• Medical Sociology

Background:

• Medical certificates are central to public administration redistributive policies.
• Sickness absence has shown significant variations over recent decades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how medicalization influences variations in sickness absence.
• To examine the evolving understanding of illness and work disability.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 230 casebooks, including medical certificates.
• Focus on physicians and national insurance officials' decision-making processes.
• Comparison of data from the late 1970s and late 1990s.

Main Results:

• Officials and physicians exhibit a broader definition of illness and work disability over time.
• Regional differences in attention to symptoms led to varied diagnoses between southern and northern Sweden.
• Evolving interpretations of medical certificates contribute to changing sickness absence patterns.

Conclusions:

• Medicalization is a key factor explaining shifts in sickness figures and diagnostic patterns.
• Social insurance offices' role in sickness absence requires further emphasis.
• Understanding the social construction of illness is crucial for public health policy.