Number of Previous Absences Is a Predictor of Sustained Attendance After Return to Work in Workers With Absence due to Common Mental Disorders: A Cohort 3-year Study

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relationship of the number of previous episodes due to common mental disorders (CMDs) with long-term outcomes and sustainability of attendance after return-to-work (RTW). METHODS: Participants were assigned to the following three groups: workers having one (Group 1), two (Group 2), and three or more (Group 3) previous episodes. Outcomes were a recurrent absence and the sustainability rate of attendance after RTW. RESULTS: The sustainability rate in Group 1 was significantly higher than that in Group 3 throughout the observation period. The sustainability rates for Group 2 were significantly higher than for Group 3 at 30 and 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: The number of previous episodes was shown to affect sustainability of attendance after RTW due to CMDs, indicating that repeated previous absences are a significant prognostic factor.