Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2025
A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Suffering of Common Mental Disorders but Still at Work: A Longitudinal Study During Periods of Differences in
Magnus Helgesson1,2, Klas Gustafsson3, Constanze Leineweber4
1Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177, Stockholm, Sweden. magnus.helgesson@ki.se.
Purpose:
The aim was to analyse the relationships between work environment characteristics and periods of sick leave (> 14 days) in individuals diagnosed with common mental disorders (CMDs) across 1993-2014. Additionally, the study describes changes in the work environment and sick leave trends over these two periods.
Methods:
From the Swedish Work Environment Surveys (SWES) 1993-2013, participants with a diagnosis of a CMD up to five years before the interview were drawn (n = 3795). Risk ratios (RRs) of the annual average number of sick leave days one year after the interview in SWES (1993-2014) were calculated for various work environment characteristics, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results:
Having flexible working hours (RR 0.65: 0.46-0.91) and having an active job (RR 0.60: 0.41-0.88), that is, high job demands and high job control, were associated with a significantly decreased risk for a spell of sick leave > 14 days after adjusting for interview year, age, sex, and educational level. There was a tendency that also some aspects of job control, i.e. influence over working hours (RR 0.79: 0.62-1.01) and influence over work pace (0.80: 0.62-1.03), were associated with a lower risk of having > 14 days of sick leave. There was a more substantial effect on these work environment factors in 2009-2013 than 1993-2007.
Conclusion:
Enabling flexible working hours and influencing work pace and working hours can decrease the risk of sick leave among employees diagnosed with a CMD.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
01:26Longitudinal Studies
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:17Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...
01:29Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
01:24Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...