Six Years of Sick Leave Spells in a Group of University Civil Workers. Can Modern Work Bring Them a New Health Problem?

• Main Author: Dias, Adriano [UNESP]
• Publication Date: 2019
• Other Authors: Bernardes, Joao Marcos [UNESP], Fantazia, Miriam Malacize [UNESP], Ruiz-Frutos, Carlos, Gomez-Salgado, Juan
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Download full: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16010017; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/185448
• topic: sickness absence; public workers; university; psychosocial work environment; occupational health; health workers

The objective of this study is to analyse sick leave episodes of a university's collective of statutory workers in the State of SAo Paulo, between January 2010 and December 2015. For this, a descriptive study analysed 5776 registered spells of sick leave of four university units: agricultural sciences; human health, health and animal reproduction, and biological sciences; an administrative unit; and a university hospital. The medical expert assessment was carried out by general practitioners and psychiatrists who managed sick leave and return to work cases. Around 52% had up to three sick leave episodes, and 10% of the workers had 20 or more episodes. Each spell of sickness absence lasted a median of 30 days (IQR 8-60 days). Among all of sick leaves, 35% had as a primary cause mental or behavioural diseases, of which 30% were depressive disorders, followed by around 18% related to the musculoskeletal system and the connective tissues. In the medical reports, 80% of the workers reported pain and 30% reported psychological symptoms. The collective, seen as privileged by many for their job stability, has a high percentage of sick leave due to mental illness, with extended periods which affect the levels of disability and reduce possibilities of return.