Online PhD conferral Sophie Heloïse Klasen

Keywords: Indicated prevention, long-term sickness absence, health outcomes, cost-effectiveness

"Efficacy of an indicated prevention strategy for long-term sickness absence from an economic, health and stakeholders’ perspective"

This research has shown that a preventive approach reduces long-term sickness absence over a number of years. Employees classified as being at high risk for long-term sickness absence were offered a preventive intervention before sickness absence occurred, and were compared with employees who only had access to normal occupational healthcare. In addition to the long-term reduction in sickness absence, a small improvement in well-being and social interactions was found, which resulted in a positive cost-effective outcome seen from the employer perspective. Long-term sickness absence remains a large burden for most countries and has considerable consequences for employees and employers and is accompanied by high societal costs. Also, it is shown that reporting sick can negatively affect well-being, mental and physical health and could ultimately lead to work disability and early retirement due to ill health. The longer the duration of sickness absence, the less likely it becomes that an employee will return to work. The prevention of long-term sickness absence, e.g., by means of the preventive approach under study is therefore very relevant.

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