Determinants of Sickness Absence and Return to Work Among Employees with Common Mental Disorders: A Scoping Review.
Haitze de Vries, Alba Fishta, Beate Weikert and 2 others
PMID 28980107WHAT IT FOUND
Workers with anxiety or depression stay off work longer when they have high job demands, low control, and poor supervisor support.
Treating symptoms alone does not guarantee a return to work. Workplace accommodations and managing expectations are essential for reintegration.
Key findings
01Consistent predictors of sickness absence include higher symptom severity, previous absenteeism, high job demands, low job control, and low perceived general health.
02Positive expectations about returning to work and support from supervisors and coworkers are consistent predictors of a faster return to work.
03Symptom reduction through psychosocial interventions does not automatically lead to a reduction in sick leave, highlighting the need for work-related interventions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review did not perform a formal quality assessment of the included studies. Most studies were conducted in the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, limiting generalizability to other healthcare and compensation systems. Common mental disorders were analyzed as a single group, masking potential differences between anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders. Many environmental factors had insufficient evidence because they were studied in only one study. There was a risk of double reporting because multiple articles were published from the same cohorts.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were explicitly stated in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that reducing a patient's anxiety or depression symptoms will automatically lead to a return to work. The review found that symptom reduction is not a guarantee of reduced sick leave, and workplace factors like job control and supervisor support are equally important predictors of reintegration.