14th October 2008
Unum, the UK’s leading disability insurer, has reported on key progress made by the Unum Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research at Cardiff University, in a newly published report looking at the relationship between common health problems (CHP), such as pain, fatigue and depression, and work.
Research carried out by the Unum Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research at Cardiff University, indicates that of all common health problems, depression and stress have the highest impact on an employee’s life and work. It also found that work is perceived by employees as the main cause of these health complaints.
Among the research programmes at the Centre, which was established with funding from Unum in July 2004, is a comprehensive investigation of the way that common health problems, which underlie much of today’s sickness absence, affect people in everyday life.
The aim of this particular study was to investigate beliefs about CHP in relation to work. Focus groups were undertaken with 79 people aged 17-83 in South Wales, UK, where there is a high prevalence of people with limiting long-term illnesses in a number of areas.
Social, moral and economic pressures involved in work and sickness absence emerged as a major theme. The researchers identified differences in beliefs about CHPs in relation to work according to gender, age and socio-economic status. For example, Men and Women of working age in the Socio-economic groups 4–5, particularly those in the South Wales Valleys, identified most strongly with the moral imperative not to take sickness absence.
In addition to being the most commonly mentioned complaints amongst interviewees, stress and depression were also seen by interviewees as serious and legitimate problems relative to more specific and recognisable medical conditions, such as cancer, arthritis or heart disease.
They also admitted that moral pressure to stay at work or have a legitimate reason to be off sick was high. However, there was a widely held perception amongst interviewees that some primary care practitioners were not particularly interested in anything other than physical symptoms.
Professor Mike O’Donnell, Unum Chief Medical Officer, added:
Unum’s work with Cardiff University has highlighted the importance of psychosocial factors – including beliefs, fears and advice from family - in prolonging absence from work, and these results confirm that the employee’s health condition is only one of the many factors in preventing return to work. This research provides further support for Unum’s journey into exploring what lies behind much work incapacity and our holistic biopsychosocial approach to long-term disability insurance.
The research also demonstrates that employers and healthcare professionals need much greater awareness of these psychosocial issues when assessing how to help people return to work.
The Centre’s director, Professor Mansel Aylward CB, said:
We’re delighted with the substantial progress the Centre has made, which will continue to increase understanding of the psychological and social factors which influence health and illness. Through our continuing research we have achieved a greater understanding of the psycho-social factors which act as barriers to return to work. We now have a clearer insight into ways to intervene more effectively.
Previous research has indicated that various factors will prevent people from returning to work that are completely unrelated to their actual health condition. We are confident that new ways of approaching sickness absence will continue to emerge, which will enable us to help more and more people keep their dreams and ambitions alive by being able to return work.
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