Health consequences of graded, full, and no sickness absence among workers with musculoskeletal disorders: health profiles and six-months symptom changes of patients referred to Norwegian outpatient clinics for chronic neck and back pain
Patients who were prescribed full, graded, or no sick leave exhibited significant, albeit not clinically meaningful, reductions in pain-related disability over a six-months period. Symptom reductions may be due to clinician support or remission trends in line with regression towards the mean. While no superior health effects of graded sick leave were noted, work participation did not appear to have detrimental health effects.
Authors
- Arnstein Mykletun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3878-0079)
- Sharon A. M. Stevelink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7655-7986)
- Beate Brinchmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5793-7668)
- Oda Lekve Brandseth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7351-9629)
- Nils Abel Aars (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0447-2668)
- Samineh Sanatkar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9962-163X)
- Ingvild Bardal
Institutions
- King's College London (GB)
- Haukeland University Hospital (NO)
- Nordland Hospital Trust (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-08570-7
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.39
Funders
- Universitetet i Tromsø
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Department of Health and Social Care
- State Insurance Regulatory Authority
- NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre