Lisa Mather

High Job Demands, Job Strain, and Iso-Strain are Risk Factors for Sick Leave due to Mental Disorders: A Prospective Swedish Twin Study With a 5-Year Follow-Up.

Objective: To investigate whether psychosocial work environment and health behaviors are risk factors for sick leave due to mental disorders, and whether familial confounding (genetics and shared environment) explains the associations. Methods: Respondents (n = 11,729), given to complete a questionnaire in 2004 to 2006, were followed up approximately 5 years for sick leave spells due to mental disorders, using national registry data. Data were analyzed using logistic regression, and conditional logistic regression for twin pairs discordant for sick leave (cotwin control). Results: High job demands, job strain, and iso-strain were independent risk factors for sick leave due to mental disorders. Familial factors seem to be of importance in the associations between job support, smoking, a combination of unhealthy behaviors and sick leave. Conclusions: Improving the psychosocial work environment may be effective in preventing sick leave due to mental disorders.

The covariation between burnout and sick leave due to mental disorders is explained by a shared genetic liability : A prospective Swedish twin study with a five year follow-up.

BACKGROUND This study aims to assess whether the associations between burnout and sick leave due to stress-related mental disorders, other mental disorders, and somatic conditions are influenced by familial (genetic and shared environmental) factors. METHODS In this prospective cohort study, 23,611 Swedish twins born between 1959 and 1985, who answered a web-based questionnaire, including the Pines Burnout Measure 2004-2006, were included. Registry data on sick leave spells from the response date until December 31, 2010 were obtained from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for the association between burnout and sick leave for the whole sample, while conditional logistic regression of the same-sex discordant twin pairs was used to estimate the association between burnout and sick leave, adjusting for familial confounding. The Bivariate Cholesky models were used to assess whether the covariation between burnout and sick leave was explained by common genetic and/or shared environmental factors. RESULTS Burnout was a risk factor for sick leave due to stress-related and other mental disorders, and these associations were explained by familial factors. The phenotypic correlation between burnout and sick leave due to somatic conditions was 0.07 and the association was not influenced by familial factors. The phenotypic correlations between burnout and sick leave due to stress-related (0.26) and other mental disorders (0.30) were completely explained by common genetic factors. CONCLUSIONS The association between burnout and sick leave due to stress-related and other mental disorders seems to be a reflection of a shared genetic liability.

The association between part-time and temporary employment and sickness absence : a prospective Swedish twin study.

Abstract Background Sickness absence (SA) is becoming a major economic problem in many countries. Our aim was to investigate whether type of employment, including temporary employment or part-time employment, is associated with SA while controlling for familial factors (genetic and shared environment). Differences between men and women and across employment sectors were explored. Methods This is a prospective twin study based on 21 105 twins born in Sweden 1959–85. The participants completed a survey in 2005 with follow-up of SA (≥15 days), using register data, until end of 2013. The data were analyzed with logistic regression, with results presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Temporary employment involved higher odds of SA (OR=1.21 95% CI=1.04–1.40) compared to full-time employment. Both part-time workers (OR=0.84 95% CI=0.74–0.95) and the self-employed (OR=0.77 95%CI=0.62–0.94) had lower odds of SA. Stratifying by sex showed lower odds for part-timers (OR=0.82 95% CI=0.73–0.94) and self-employed women (OR=0.65 95% CI=0.47–0.90), but higher odds for men in temporary employment (OR=1.33 95% CI=1.03–1.72). Temporary employees in county councils (OR=1.73 95% CI=1.01–2.99) and municipalities (OR=1.41 95% CI=1.02–1.96) had higher odds while part-timers employed in the private sector had lower odds (OR=0.77 95% CI=0.64–0.93). Familial factors did not confound the association between employment type and SA. Conclusions Employment type is associated with SA, with temporary employment involving a higher risk compared to permanent full-time employment while both part-time employment and self-employment involved a lower risk. The associations vary between women and men and across sectors.

Night work as a risk factor for future cause-specific disability pension: A prospective twin cohort study in Sweden

ABSTRACT The objectives of the study were to investigate the associations between night work and disability pension (DP) due to all causes, cardiovascular (CVD), mental, and other diagnoses, adjusting for familial confounding. The material of the study included comprehensive survey data on 27 165 Swedish twins born in 1935–1958 that were linked with DP data for the survey period (1998–2003) to 2013. Night work was assessed as years of working nights at least every now and then, and categorized into not at all, 1–10 years and over 10 years. For statistical analyses, Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results of the study indicated that over 10 years duration of night work had an age- and sex-adjusted HR of 1.48 (95% CI 1.11–1.98) for DP due to CVD and 1–10 years of night work an HR of 1.28 (95% CI 1.06–1.55) for DP due to mental diagnoses, but attenuated when covariates were adjusted for. Both 1–10 years (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.17–1.39) and >10 years of night work (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08–1.34) were associated with DP due to all causes and other diagnoses. These risks remained after adjusting for covariates. To conclude, even modest exposure in terms of duration of night work is a risk factor for all-cause DP, but also for DP due to mental and other diagnoses. The risk of DP due to CVD seems to be associated with longer (>10 years) periods of night work. All the associations between night work and DP seem to be influenced by various covariates.

Adverse outcomes of sick leave due to mental disorders: A prospective study of discordant twin pairs

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether sick leave due to different mental disorders increased the risk of reoccurring sick-leave, disability pension and unemployment, taking genetics and shared environment into account. Methods: This register-based cohort study contains 2202 discordant twin pairs 18–64 years old, where one twin had sick leave due to a mental disorder 2005–2006. The end of the sick-leave spell was the start of follow-up for both twins. The twins were followed up for reoccurring sick-leave, disability pension and unemployment (> 180 days in a year), until December 2012. Analyses were censored for disability pension, death, emigration and old-age pension. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Those with sick leave due to mental disorders had a 3.64 (CI: 3.24–4.08) times higher risk of reoccurring sick-leave within the first two years; after that, hazard ratios were attenuated and explained by genetic factors. The first year, they had 12.24 (CI: 8.11–18.46) times the risk of disability pension. The risk was attenuated but remained at 2.75 (CI: 2.07–3.65) after one year. The risk of unemployment was 1.99 (CI: 1.72–2.31) during the whole follow-up period. The risk of unemployment and disability pension was lower for those with stress-related than other mental disorders, this was less clear for recurrent reoccuring sick-leave. Conclusions: Sick leave due to mental disorders increased the risk of reoccurring sick-leave within two years, disability pension and unemployment, independent of genetics and shared environment.

Are time pressure and sleep problems due to thoughts about work risk factors for future sick leave

Background: Previous research indicates that long working hours, time pressure and overtime work relate to a range of adverse outcomes including poor recovery and health complaints. But, findings a ...