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Sick-leave due to psychiatric disorder: higher incidence among women and longer duration for men
G Hensing1, K Alexanderson, P Allebeck
1Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
Background:
Women take sick-leave more often than men, both in general and because of psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to introduce the new dimension of sick-leave duration in the analysis of gender differences in minor psychiatric disorders.
Method:
A population-based register was used, which included all sick-leave spells exceeding seven consecutive days, 1985-1987, in a Swedish county.
Results:
Sick-leave duration was longer for men. The greatest gender differences were found in the youngest and oldest age-groups. Women had higher incidence also in the longest spells. An increase in duration over the three years was found among women, leading to decreased gender differences.
Conclusions:
Contrary to other studies on minor psychiatric disorders, small gender differences were found. It is suggested that sick-leave duration can be used as a quantitative measure of health-related working capacity.