Table 3.
Rate ratios for spells of sickness absence (1991–1998) by psychiatric morbidity at phases 1 and 2 and both phases
| Sickness absence | GHQ caseness | Rate ratio (95% CI) | |||||
| Men (n=3638) | Women (n=1466) | ||||||
| Model 1* | Model 2† | Model 3‡ | Model 1* | Model 2† | Model 3‡ | ||
| Psychiatric long spells | Phase 1 caseness | 1.68 (1.16 to 2.43) | 1.41 (0.95 to 2.10) | 1.22 (0.82 to 1.83) | 1.84 (1.24 to 2.73) | 1.66 (1.10 to 2.51) | 1.43 (0.93 to 2.18) |
| Phase 2 caseness | 2.24 (1.57 to 3.18) | 1.94 (1.34 to 2.81) | 1.67 (1.14 to 2.43) | 1.39 (0.93 to 2.06) | 1.16 (0.77 to 1.75) | 1.05 (0.69 to 1.58) | |
| Neither | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Phase 1 only | 2.03 (1.19 to 3.45) | 1.75 (1.01 to 3.01) | 1.48 (0.86 to 2.57) | 2.49 (1.46 to 4.25) | 2.30 (1.34 to 3.94) | 1.97 (1.14 to 3.40) | |
| Phase 2 only | 2.79 (1.76 to 4.42) | 2.45 (1.52 to 3.93) | 2.08 (1.29 to 3.35) | 1.67 (0.97 to 2.87) | 1.44 (0.84 to 2.49) | 1.34 (0.78 to 2.31) | |
| Both phases | 2.40 (1.53 to 3.81) | 1.99 (1.20 to 3.30) | 1.65 (0.98 to 2.71) | 1.81 (1.09 to 3.01) | 1.49 (0.87 to 2.55) | 1.23 (0.70 to 2.14) | |
| Non-psychiatric long spells | Phase 1 caseness | 1.16 (0.99 to 1.34) | 1.12 (0.96 to 1.31) | 0.92 (0.78 to 1.07) | 1.07 (0.91 to 1.27) | 1.06 (0.89 to 1.26) | 0.91 (0.76 to 1.07) |
| Phase 2 caseness | 1.29 (1.12 to 1.49) | 1.23 (1.06 to 1.43) | 1.07 (0.92 to 1.24) | 1.06 (0.90 to 1.25) | 1.06 (0.90 to 1.26) | 0.94 (0.80 to 1.11) | |
| Neither | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Phase 1 only | 1.12 (0.91 to 1.39) | 1.10 (0.89 to 1.37) | 0.94 (0.76 to 1.17) | 1.10 (0.86 to 1.39) | 1.10 (0.87 to 1.40) | 0.96 (0.76 to 1.21) | |
| Phase 2 only | 1.32 (1.09 to 1.60) | 1.26 (1.04 to 1.53) | 1.15 (0.95 to 1.39) | 1.08 (0.87 to 1.35) | 1.10 (0.88 to 1.37) | 1.01 (0.82 to 1.25) | |
| Both phases | 1.31 (1.08 to 1.58) | 1.25 (1.03 to 1.53) | 0.96 (0.78 to 1.17) | 1.09 (0.88 to 1.34) | 1.07 (0.86 to 1.34) | 0.86 (0.69 to 1.08) | |
| All diagnoses long spells | Phase 1 caseness | 1.27 (1.11 to 1.45) | 1.20 (1.04 to 1.38) | 1.00 (0.87 to 1.15) | 1.18 (1.01 to 1.37) | 1.16 (0.99 to 1.35) | 0.99 (0.86 to 1.16) |
| Phase 2 caseness | 1.44 (1.26 to 1.65) | 1.36 (1.18 to 1.56) | 1.17 (1.02 to 1.34) | 1.12 (0.97 to 1.30) | 1.10 (0.95 to 1.28) | 0.99 (0.85 to 1.14) | |
| Neither | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Phase 1 only | 1.29 (1.06 to 1.57) | 1.25 (1.02 to 1.52) | 1.07 (0.89 to 1.30) | 1.23 (1.00 to 1.52) | 1.24 (1.01 to 1.54) | 1.08 (0.88 to 1.32) | |
| Phase 2 only | 1.54 (1.29 to 1.84) | 1.46 (1.22 to 1.75) | 1.31 (1.10 to 1.56) | 1.14 (0.93 to 1.39) | 1.15 (0.94 to 1.40) | 1.05 (0.87 to 1.27) | |
| Both phases | 1.48 (1.24 to 1.76) | 1.38 (1.15 to 1.66) | 1.07 (0.89 to 1.29) | 1.20 (0.99 to 1.45) | 1.17 (0.96 to 1.42) | 0.96 (0.79 to 1.17) | |
*
Model 1 adjusts for age and employment grade.
†
Model 2 adjusts for age, employment grade, work characteristics (decision latitude, job demands, work support, effort–reward imbalance), marital status, social support (confiding/emotional, practical, negative aspects, network outside household) and material problems.
‡
Model 3 additionally adjusts for alcohol consumption, self-reported health, health problems in last year, presence of longstanding illness and presence of physical illness.
GHQ, General Health Questionnaire.