Occupational Medicine Advance Access published online on April 22, 2008
Occupational Medicine, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn043
Depressed and absent from work: predicting prolonged depressive symptomatology among employees
1 Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
2 TNO Quality of Life/Work and Employment, PO Box 718, 2130 AS Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Background The World Health Organization considers depression a major health problem and a leading cause of disability.
Aim To identify factors which may help to reduce depressive symptoms in a sample of employees sick listed due to mental health problems.
Methods Longitudinal cohort study of employees sick listed for 12–20 weeks due to mental health problems. Individuals were followed for 1 year. After a screening questionnaire, we conducted standardized interviews by telephone, assessing individuals' mental health, work characteristics and actions by employers.
Results A total of 555 employees commenced the study and 436 participated in the second interview. Response rates were 42% for the screening questionnaire, 93% for the first interview and 79% for the second interview. Individuals with low education and sole breadwinners showed a less favourable course of depressive symptoms. Work resumption (partial and full) and changing the employee's tasks (action by employer) promoted a more favourable course of depressive symptoms.
Conclusion The findings point to the importance of work resumption and a change in work tasks in order to promote recovery. Using these insights, management of employees suffering from depressive complaints may be improved.
Keywords Occupational mental health; occupational rehabilitation; sickness absence
Correspondence to: Veerle Brenninkmeijer, Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 30 253 4981; fax +31 30 2534718; e-mail: v.brenninkmeijer{at}uu.nl