All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality after Long-Term Sickness Absence for Psychiatric Disorders: A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Long-term sickness absence due to psychiatric disorders is a significant public health concern.
• Understanding the long-term mortality risks associated with psychiatric sickness absence is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between long-term psychiatric sickness absence and all-cause and diagnosis-specific mortality (cardiovascular disease, cancer, suicide).
• To analyze these associations for sickness absence in 1990 and 2000, with separate mortality follow-ups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized register linkages to follow 244,990 employees in 1990 and 764,137 in 2000 up to 2007.
• Employed flexible parametric survival models to compare mortality risks in individuals with long-term psychiatric sickness absence (>90 days) versus those without.

Main Results:

• Long-term psychiatric sickness absence was significantly associated with increased mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and suicide.
• Adjusted analyses confirmed these associations, with hazard ratios for all-cause mortality (1.56) and suicide (3.84) being particularly notable.
• Findings were consistent across cohorts from 1990 and 2000, indicating a persistent link.

Conclusions:

• Long-term sickness absence due to psychiatric disorders is a predictor of premature mortality.
• The study underscores the critical need for interventions addressing both mental health in the workplace and its long-term health outcomes.