Low education level and temporary employment prolong depression-related work disability
The loss of work ability due to depression is a serious problem. Every year in Finland, over 25 000 sickness allowance episodes are compensated by Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) and about 4000 people begin receiving work disability pensions due to depression (statistics from Kela and the Finnish Centre for Pensions). A study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) revealed that the risk of prolonged depression-related work disability episodes is greater among temporary than permanent employees. Those who have both a temporary work contract and a low level of education are at greatest risk. In addition, ageing, combined with temporary work, also increases the length of depression-related work disability episode.
These results are from FIOH’s register study, which followed 8000 municipal employees, who had at least one work disability episode due to diagnosed depression that lasted over nine days during 2005‒2011. Just over 10 per cent, i.e. 800, of these work disability episodes were disability pensions. The study has been published in the scientific Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health.
“Successful return to work after depression is not only important for the well-being of the individual but also from the perspective of extending work careers,” says Jenni Ervasti, Specialist Researcher at FIOH.
“A permanent contract seems to help people remain in the labor market even when ill. Return to work is facilitated by effective treatment and rehabilitation, but also by having a workplace to return to. Successful return to work requires support from the work community and co-operation between the workplace and occupational health services.
Low education level and temporary contracts delay return to work
The risk of prolonged work disability due to depression is as much as 40 per cent higher among employees with a temporary contract than among permanent employees. The continuity of employment also affected the risk. Longer temporary employment contracts protected employees in a similar way to permanent contracts.
The study indicated that the length of work disability episode due to depression was associated with a low level of education among temporary but not among permanent employees. Educated temporary employees were at about a 30 per cent greater risk of prolonged work disability than educated permanent employees. Temporary employment combined with basic education was associated with 2-fold risk of prolonged work disability compared to those who were highly educated and had permanent contracts.
Risk of disability pension highest among ageing temporary workers
Ageing increased the risk of prolonged work disability due to depression among both permanent and temporary employees. The risk among ageing (over 53 year-old) temporary employees was almost four times greater than among young (18‒35 year-old) permanent employees. Of young (under 35 year-old) temporary employees only three per cent ended up on disability pension, whereas of ageing (over 52 years) temporary workers, almost a quarter (24%) ended up on disability pension due to depression.
“Young people ending up on disability pension is extremely sad, from both a personal and a societal perspective. Many years of lost work is costly,” reminds Ervasti.
Over ten per cent of sickness absences due to depression lead to disability pension
Sickness absences due to depression were relatively common among municipal workers. About eight per cent had at least one work disability episode lasting over nine days during follow-up. Over 60 per cent of these episodes lasted under two months, but about 11 per cent lasted over a year.
The study is funded by the Academy of Finland and FIOH.
Further information:
Jenni Ervasti, Specialist Researcher, FIOH, tel. +358 30 474 2806, +358 43 825 5475, jenni.ervasti@ttl.fi
Marianna Virtanen, Research Professor, Academy Research Fellow, FIOH, tel +358 30 474 2702, + 358 43 824 1151, marianna.virtanen@ttl.fi
Publications:
Ervasti, J., Vahtera, J., Virtanen, P., Pentti, J., Oksanen, T., Ahola, K., Kivimäki, M., Virtanen M. (2014). Is temporary employment a risk factor for work disability due to depression and for delayed return to work? The Finnish Public Sector Study. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health (Online first).
doi:10.5271.sjweh.3424. http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3424
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health researches, develops and specializes in well-being at work. It promotes occupational health and safety and the well-being of workers. It is an independent institution under public law, working under the administrative sector of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. It has six regional offices, and its headquarters are in Helsinki. It employs about 750 people.