Leave of absence due to depression.
Carla Danielle Araújo Feitosa, Márcia Astrês Fernandes
PMID 32491123WHAT IT FOUND
In workers on leave for depression in Piauí, Brazil, those aged 40 or more, rural workers, and those with recurrent severe depression with psychotic symptoms were more likely to be absent for 60 days or more.
Key findings
01Among 2,267 workers on leave for depression, 80.9% had one leave and 19.1% had more than one.
02Workers under 40 had a lower chance of leave lasting 60 days or more than workers aged 40 or older (adjusted odds ratio 0.5).
03Urban workers had a 0.4-times lower chance of leave lasting 60 days or more than rural workers, and recurrent severe depression with psychotic symptoms had a 3.1-times greater chance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used existing social-security records, so it could not check the workers' health before leave or prove cause and effect. It was cross-sectional and analysed records from one state, with variables limited to those available in the database. Records with incomplete data were excluded, and the analysis used the last cause of leave for workers who had more than one absence.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that age, rural residence, or depression subtype caused longer leave or that a clinical intervention would reduce absence. The study used existing social-security records and a cross-sectional design, so it cannot establish cause and effect.