Interpersonal Processes in the Duration of Sick Leave of Workers with Chronic Diseases: A Dyadic Analysis.
Haitze J de Vries, Nicole C Snippen, Corné A M Roelen and 2 others
PMID 39223399WHAT IT FOUND
Workers whose partners doubted they would return within six months had longer sick leave.
The partner's expectation predicted duration better than the worker's own. Involving significant others in return-to-work discussions may identify risk and align expectations.
Key findings
01When analyzed together, the significant other's return-to-work expectation remained a significant predictor of sick leave duration, while the worker's own expectation did not.
02More negative illness perceptions of the worker were associated with longer sick leave duration.
03Perceived active engagement, protective buffering, and overprotection by significant others were not associated with sick leave duration.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was older, more male, and had more musculoskeletal or mental conditions than the general occupational health service population, which may limit generalizability. Participants were mostly highly satisfied with their relationships and reported high active engagement, leaving little variation to detect associations between specific behaviors and outcomes. The study used generic measures of significant other behavior rather than work-specific ones, which might have missed relevant interactions. Response rate was unknown, and there was evidence of nonresponse bias favoring satisfied dyads.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Instituut Gak. No other conflicts of interest were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that partner behaviors like active engagement or overprotection do not influence sick leave duration. The null findings for these behaviors are likely due to a lack of variation in the sample, as most participants reported high engagement and low negative behaviors, not necessarily because these factors are irrelevant.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →