Affiliations: Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Umeå University, Umeå Sweden | Department of Public Health and Medicine, Umeå
University, Umeå Sweden | Department of Psychology, Umeå University,
Umeå Sweden
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Annie Hansen, Department of
Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy Division,
Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå Sweden. Tel. +46 907869279; Fax +46
907869267; E-mail: annie.j.hansen@occupther.umu.se
Abstract: This paper contributes to the understanding of the factors that are
significant for returning to work, and identifies factors that might be used
early on in a period of sick leave to discern whether people are likely to work
again. In the design, the multivariate Partial Least Squares (PLS) of Latent
Structures method was used to analyse information from a questionnaire
containing socio-demographic items, and information on symptoms, consequences
on daily life, expectations and psychosocial factors. Data about the incidence
of sickness over a four-year period was included. 121 adults aged 18–64
years on sick leave participated, irrespective of their diagnoses. A reliable
prediction of a return to work required the combination of many factors:
individual psychosocial instruments are not useful when considered in
isolation. The strongest predictive factors for a return to work concern the
individuals' expectations, the number of days of sick leave taken in the past,
somatic disorders, and a high level of life satisfaction and sense of
coherence. Many factors influence the outcome for people on sick leave: PLS
analysis demonstrated that a multivariate approach using this method could
predict the long-term outcome early on in a period of sick leave.
Keywords: Sick leave, return to work, prediction, psychosocial factors, belief, self-esteem, symptoms and multivariate analysis
