Occurrence of part-time sickness absence due to common mental disorders during 30 years in Sweden

Abstract Background Part-time sickness absence (SA) is assumed to have beneficial effects on an individual's health and promote return to work, which is in line with widely acknowledged positive effects of work participation at public health level. However, studies are lacking on part-time sickness absence due to common mental disorders (CMDs), yet are needed to understand the phenomenon and its impact on individuals’ work participation. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of part-time SA due to CMDs among women and men in Sweden over nearly 30 years. Methods This prospective population-based study was part of the Swedish Twin project Of Disability pension and Sickness absence (STODS) and included all twins born in Sweden 1958-2002 (n = 94 445, 50% women). For all twins, data on SA, including degree and diagnosis, were obtained from the National Social Insurance Agency for the years 1994-2022. The prevalence and incidence of part-time SA due to CMDs during the follow-up among women and men as well as in three age groups: 19-29, 30-45, and 46-55 years were analyzed. Results Results showed that during the follow-up 1994-2022, the proportion of incident cases of part-time SA due to CMDs increased constantly and to the same degree among both women and men as well as in all age groups, as compared to stable patterns of part-time SA due to non-CMD mental diagnoses. In 2022, 1958 women (∼4.5%) and 745 men (∼1.7%) were on SA due to CMDs. Of these, 858 women (∼44%) and 298 men (∼40%), respectively, were on part-time SA due to CMDs. Conclusions During the last decades, part-time SA has become a more common benefit alternative when being absent from work due to CMDs in Sweden. Future studies are needed to investigate the impact of part-time SA on work participation. Key messages • Part-time sickness absence may help individuals experiencing mental ill-health to manage their conditions while remaining engaged in paid work. • Further research on the long-term effects of part-time sickness absence on individuals’ work participation is essential for developing effective public health strategies and interventions.