Factors associated with return to work among disability claimants with depression

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation medicine

Background:

• Depression significantly impacts global disease burden, leading to reduced productivity and disability.
• Understanding return-to-work factors is crucial for managing depression's socioeconomic consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with return to work among disability claimants with depression.
• To inform case management and rehabilitation strategies for individuals with depression-related disability.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 514 disability claims.
• Univariate association tests (Chi-square, Fisher) analyzed demographic and workplace factors against return to work.

Main Results:

• Women (71.6%) and those under 60 had higher return-to-work probabilities (80% and 99%).
• High workplace support (39% of claimants) correlated with a 95% return-to-work rate.
• Claimants returning within 6 months represented 48%; over 24 months disability duration saw a 79% non-return rate.

Conclusions:

• Female gender, younger age (<60), robust workplace support, and shorter disability duration positively influenced return to work.
• These findings offer critical insights for optimizing rehabilitation and case management for depression disability claimants.