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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Research

Impact of psychosocial work factors on risk of medically certified sick leave due to common mental disorders: a nationwide prospective cohort study of Norwegian home care workers

Authors: Rigmor Harang Knutsen, Morten Birkeland Nielsen, Lars-Kristian Lunde, Øivind Skare, Håkon A. Johannessen

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

The Norwegian home care services experience a high level of sick leave, a large proportion of which is due to common mental disorders. A substantial number of such cases can be attributed to psychosocial factors at work, but more knowledge about occupation-specific risk factors is needed to develop targeted preventive measures to reduce sick leave levels. The aim of this study is to identify the most prominent psychosocial work factors influencing the risk of sick leave spells due to common mental disorders.

Methods

Employees from a random sample of 130 Norwegian home care services (N = 1.819) completed a baseline survey on 15 psychosocial work factors. Participants were subsequently followed up for 26 months using registry data on sick leave. The outcome measure was the number of medically certified sick leave spells due to common mental disorders during follow-up in the Norwegian social insurance database. Incidence risk ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using negative binomial regression with robust standard errors.

Results

Emotional dissonance (IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05–1.60) and emotional demands (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14–1.58) were associated with an excess risk of sick leave, while control over work pacing (IRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62–0.98) was associated with a reduced risk. An estimated 30% (95% CI 8.73–48.82) of sick leave cases were attributable to emotional dissonance and 27% (95% CI 4.80-46.33) were attributable to emotional demands. Control over work pacing was estimated to have prevented 20% (95% CI 1.32–37.78) of the sick leave cases.

Conclusions

This study found that emotional dissonance and emotional demands were robust risk factors for sick leave due to common mental disorders, and that control of work pacing constituted a robust protective factor against sick leave.
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Metadata
Title
Impact of psychosocial work factors on risk of medically certified sick leave due to common mental disorders: a nationwide prospective cohort study of Norwegian home care workers
Authors
Rigmor Harang Knutsen
Morten Birkeland Nielsen
Lars-Kristian Lunde
Øivind Skare
Håkon A. Johannessen
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18299-y

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