Anja Beno1,2, Gunnel Hensing3, Agneta Lindegård4,3, Ingibjörg H Jonsdottir4,3. 1. Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Carl Skottsbergs gata 22B, SE-413 19, Gothenburg, Sweden. anja.paust@vgregion.se. 2. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden. anja.paust@vgregion.se. 3. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden. 4. Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Carl Skottsbergs gata 22B, SE-413 19, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Exhaustion disorder (ED) is a common cause of sick leave in Sweden, and patients often have long-lasting symptoms and reduced work capacity. The aim of this study was to explore whether patients with ED had made any changes in their work situation from the period of treatment and up to 7 years later. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients diagnosed with ED at a specialist outpatient clinic were followed up after 7 years (n = 217). They received questionnaires at baseline covering sex, age, marital status, level of education, and symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety measured with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. After 7 years, they were sent a follow-up questionnaire asking about their work situation and work-related stressors both before they fell sick and at the 7-year follow-up. There were three questions on work situation (change of workplace, change of work tasks, and change of working hours), and 155 patients responded to all three. RESULTS: After 7 years, the majority of the patients (63%; n = 98/155) reported that they had made some kind of change at work. Women were more likely than men to report decreased working hours (p = 0.001), and work-related stressors such as conflicts at work, reorganization, deficient leadership, and general discontent with the work situation were significantly more common at baseline in the group who had made changes at work. Patients who made no changes at work experienced more work-related stress due to quantitative demands in the 7-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: The majority of the patients with ED made some kind of change in their work situation, and gender differences were found for changes of work tasks and working hours. Work-related stressors might be decisive for making changes at work.
BACKGROUND:Exhaustion disorder (ED) is a common cause of sick leave in Sweden, and patients often have long-lasting symptoms and reduced work capacity. The aim of this study was to explore whether patients with ED had made any changes in their work situation from the period of treatment and up to 7 years later. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients diagnosed with ED at a specialist outpatient clinic were followed up after 7 years (n = 217). They received questionnaires at baseline covering sex, age, marital status, level of education, and symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety measured with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. After 7 years, they were sent a follow-up questionnaire asking about their work situation and work-related stressors both before they fell sick and at the 7-year follow-up. There were three questions on work situation (change of workplace, change of work tasks, and change of working hours), and 155 patients responded to all three. RESULTS: After 7 years, the majority of the patients (63%; n = 98/155) reported that they had made some kind of change at work. Women were more likely than men to report decreased working hours (p = 0.001), and work-related stressors such as conflicts at work, reorganization, deficient leadership, and general discontent with the work situation were significantly more common at baseline in the group who had made changes at work. Patients who made no changes at work experienced more work-related stress due to quantitative demands in the 7-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: The majority of the patients with ED made some kind of change in their work situation, and gender differences were found for changes of work tasks and working hours. Work-related stressors might be decisive for making changes at work.
Entities:
Keywords:
Changes at work; Exhaustion disorder; Return to work; Sick leave; Working hours
Authors: Ingibjörg H Jonsdottir; Arto Nordlund; Susanne Ellbin; Thomas Ljung; Kristina Glise; Peter Währborg; Anna Sjörs; Anders Wallin Journal: Scand J Psychol Date: 2017-10-10
Authors: Gunnar Aronsson; Töres Theorell; Tom Grape; Anne Hammarström; Christer Hogstedt; Ina Marteinsdottir; Ingmar Skoog; Lil Träskman-Bendz; Charlotte Hall Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2017-03-16 Impact factor: 3.295