Sickness certification for common mental disorders and GP return-to-work advice

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychiatry
• General Practice

Background:

• Common mental disorders (CMDs) like depression and stress are leading causes of sickness certification in the UK.
• Mental health's impact on employability and work capacity is a growing concern across welfare systems.
• Limited understanding exists regarding how specific mental health diagnoses affect sickness certification and return-to-work strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the types and duration of sickness certification for various common mental disorders.
• To determine the prevalence of General Practitioner (GP) advice on returning to work for patients with CMDs.
• To investigate the utilization of the 'fit note' system for mental health patients.

Main Methods:

• Sickness certification data was gathered from 68 UK general practices over 12 months.
• Analysis focused on the proportion of sickness absence due to CMDs and associated patient demographics.
• Examined the frequency and type of 'may be fit' advice provided on fit notes for CMDs.

Main Results:

• CMDs represented 29% of all certified sickness absence episodes.
• Females, younger individuals, and those in deprived areas were more likely to receive CMD fit notes.
• Only 7% of CMD fit notes included return-to-work advice, with less frequent advice for patients in deprived areas.

Conclusions:

• Common mental disorders are a major driver of sickness absence, with significant variations in certification patterns.
• The current use of fit notes provides limited return-to-work guidance for individuals with CMDs.
• Socioeconomic deprivation appears to influence the provision of return-to-work advice for mental health-related sickness absence.