Long-term sickness absence due to adjustment disorder

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Psychiatry
• Public health

Background:

• Scientific evidence on adjustment disorder's impact on sickness absence is limited.
• Understanding factors influencing sickness absence duration is crucial for clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the duration of sickness absence in patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder.
• To identify predictors associated with long-term sickness absence (≥ 6 months) in this population.

Main Methods:

• An observational, prospective study design was employed.
• Included subjects had non-work-related sickness absence exceeding 15 days post-adjustment disorder diagnosis.
• Stepwise logistic regression analysis identified predictors of long-term sickness absence.

Main Results:

• The median sickness absence duration was 91 days, with 22% experiencing long-term absence.
• Comorbidity (OR=2.23), increasing age groups (ORs ranging from 2.78 to 6.35), and blue-collar occupation (OR=1.52) were significant predictors.
• Comorbidity emerged as the strongest predictor of prolonged sickness absence.

Conclusions:

• Long-term sickness absence due to adjustment disorder can be predicted using initial patient assessment data.
• Demographic, occupational, and clinical factors are valuable for predicting absence duration.
• Early identification of at-risk individuals allows for timely intervention strategies.