Socioeconomic factors in disability retirement due to mental disorders in Finland

Previous research has identified low socioeconomic status (SES) as an epidemiological risk factor for early retirement and disability pension (DP) due to mental disorders. This study aims to examine these associations in greater detail, with separate consideration of the risk factors for mood disorders (F30-39) and non-affective psychotic disorder (F20-29) DP.

In this case-control setting the subjects (N = 36 879) were all those granted DP due to a mental disorder for the first time between 2010 and 2015 in Finland. All the subjects were matched with three controls for their gender, age and hospital district (N = 94 388). Three measures of dimensions of SES were used: education, income and occupational status, as well as family type as a control factor. Differences between DP recipients and controls, and between diagnostic groups, were studied using calculated characteristics and conditional logistic regression models.

DP recipients often lived alone and had low educational and income levels. These characteristics were more prominent in non-affective psychotic disorder than in mood disorder DP. In white-collar occupational groups, the risk of DP was greater compared with blue-collar workers. Students were associated with the highest level of risk for all mental and mood disorder DPs.

We found evidence of SES factors associating with mental disorder-related severe loss of working and studying ability in a disorder-specific way. Notably, white-collar workers had an increased risk of mental disorder DP. This could be related to the psychosocially demanding contemporary working life in non-manual work.