[Sickness absence associated with major life events]

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Sociology of work
• Public health policy

Context:

• Sickness absence in Norway doubled between 1993 and 2003.
• The drivers of this increase, whether medical or non-medical, and workforce composition changes, were unclear.
• Major life events like separation, bereavement, and pregnancy were examined for their impact on sickness absence.

Purpose:

• To investigate the factors contributing to the rise in sickness absence in Norway from 1993 to 2005.
• To differentiate between medical and non-medical causes of increased sickness absence.
• To assess the role of major life events and workforce composition in sickness absence trends.

Summary:

• A differences-in-differences regression model analyzed sickness absence data from Norwegian administrative registers (1993-2005).
• Absence periods of 16 days or more, certified by a doctor, were compared between groups exposed to major life events and matched control groups.
• Added sickness absence associated with life events increased over the study period, especially for pregnant women.

Impact:

• Findings suggest increased sickness absence is driven by evolving societal and medical attitudes towards non-strictly medical reasons for leave.
• Improved acceptance and diagnosis of mental health issues and medicalization of natural variations (e.g., pregnancy) may contribute.
• The study implies a need to re-evaluate the understanding and management of sickness absence in the Norwegian workplace.