Epidemiological profile of long-term leave for psychiatric illnesses

TL;DR

This study examines the profile of workers taking long-term sick leave for psychiatric illnesses, finding that depression is most common and most cases return to work.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed epidemiological profile of psychiatric-related long-term sick leave in a Tunisian occupational setting.

Findings

Depressive syndrome was the most common psychiatric condition (80.3%).

Most long-term sick leaves were prescribed by private sector psychiatrists (90.3%).

Work-related and social factors triggered 63.7% of cases combined.

Abstract

Long-term leave for psychiatric illness is the most frequently prescribed reason for leave, and appears to be on the increase in recent years.

To draw up a sociodemographic, occupational and clinical profile of workers who have taken long-term sick leave for psychiatric illness

Retrospective descriptive study involving the medical files of workers from both the public and private sectors, having benefited from long-term sick leave over a period going from August 17, 2022 to September 12, 2023, referred to the occupational medicine and pathology department of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for medical fitness-for-work assessment. Data collection was based on a pre-established synoptic form.

During the study period, we identified 639 long-term sick leave prescribed for psychiatric illnesses. Our study population was predominantly female, with a sex ratio of 0.29 and a mean age of 46.82 ± 25.06 years. Sixty percent of employees were married. The most represented occupational category was nurses (33%). Average job seniority was 17.21±10.41 years. Depressive syndrome was the most common psychiatric pathology in our population (80.3%), followed by bipolar disorder (6.4%) and anxiety disorder (5%). Long-term sick leave was prescribed by a psychiatrist working in the private sector in 90.3% of cases. The average duration of leave was 63.70±31.58 days. The triggering factor was work-related and social in 33.6% and 30.1% of cases respectively. The agents returned to work after the long-term sick leave in 92% of cases.

Long-term sick leave for psychiatric reasons is a handicap to productivity in society. Non-occupational factors are thought to be responsible for these mental health disorders. Setting up and improving social structures in the workplace would reduce the number of cases of long-term sick leave

None Declared