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Working Careers with Common Mental Disorders

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Handbook of Life Course Occupational Health

Part of the book series: Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences ((HDBSOHS))

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Abstract

Most of the 600 billion EURO of the costs of mental illness in the EU relates to low employment rates, reduced productivity, and social security programs. This chapter takes a comprehensive approach to mental health at work from a life course perspective. It explores the concepts “capacity to work” and “work instability” in relation to common mental disorders. Both concepts are dynamic and difficult to grasp and measure for physicians. Studies exploring experiences such as disconnectedness and putting on a working façade among the affected are presented. The sickness absence and rehabilitation process is introduced. Being off sick for longer periods is a severe consequence of CMD due to the risk of more permanent marginalization from work life. This can in particular affect young people early in their work careers. Employers have an important role in initiating universal prevention of detrimental work environment to reduce work-related CMD. The chapter also discusses the importance of reduced stigma around mental illness to facilitate early identification of workers with CMD to prevent sickness absence and support return to work if needed. The complex relation between CMD and work requires a close collaboration between the workplace, appropriate health services, and the worker to avoid prolonged absence and future marginalization. Prevention and early identification of work instability throughout the life course and an increased awareness within occupational health can empower individuals at different stages of their work career to manage CMD and continue to work and function in different social roles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Gunnel Hensing

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  1. Gunnel Hensing
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Correspondence to Gunnel Hensing .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Morten Wahrendorf

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Tarani Chandola

  3. Univ Angers, CHU Angers, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, SFR ICAT, Ester Team, Angers, France

    Alexis Descatha

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Hensing, G. (2023). Working Careers with Common Mental Disorders. In: Wahrendorf, M., Chandola, T., Descatha, A. (eds) Handbook of Life Course Occupational Health. Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30492-7_23

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