Dellve Lotta, Ahlborg Tone
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Scand J Caring Sci. 2012 Dec;26(4):720-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.00985.x. Epub 2012 Apr 20.
Few efforts have been made to prospectively identify resources and obstacles outside work that may predict regained work ability and return to work when workers are on sick leave. This study investigates the association between partner relationships and sick leave. Our research questions were as follows: (i) What is the influence of sick leave, pain, stress and domestic strain on the quality of the dyadic partner relationship?, and (ii) What is the influence of the partner and social relationship on pain, stress, work ability, self-rated health and return to work? A cohort of female workers (n = 225) on long-term sick leave (>60 days), all in a partner relationship, at 6-month intervals completed a questionnaire based on the Quality of Dyadic Relationship (QDR) instrument, the Interview Schedule of Social Interaction (ISSI), the Work Ability Index (WAI) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Univariate and multivariate analyses of baseline and prospective data were performed. The results showed that decreased partner relationship quality was related to having major responsibility for household work despite being on sick leave, having pain and having decreased social integration. Among younger individuals on sick leave, a reduction in the quality of the partner relationship was shown already at the first (6-month) follow-up, while among middle-aged women, such a reduction was seen only at the 12-month follow-up. No dimensions of partner relationship quality at baseline were related to dimensions of return to work, either as a resource or as an obstacle. Consequently, our results show that a good relationship does not keep the woman from returning to work. Having main responsibility for household work, which implies domestic strain while on sick leave, predicts lower partner relationship quality. The practical implications are that healthcare professionals treating women on sick leave should emphasize the importance of keeping a social network as well as making sufficient adjustments at home for the relationship quality to be safeguarded. Special attention should be given to the young woman on sick leave as being on sick leave seems to influence her partner relationship considerably.
很少有人前瞻性地确定工作之外可能预测病假员工恢复工作能力并重返工作岗位的资源和障碍。本研究调查伴侣关系与病假之间的关联。我们的研究问题如下：（i）病假、疼痛、压力和家庭压力对伴侣二元关系质量有何影响？以及（ii）伴侣和社会关系对疼痛、压力、工作能力、自评健康和重返工作有何影响？一组长期病假（>60天）的职业女性（n = 225），均处于伴侣关系中，每隔6个月完成一份基于二元关系质量（QDR）工具、社会互动访谈日程表（ISSI）、工作能力指数（WAI）和哥本哈根心理社会问卷（COPSOQ）的问卷。对基线和前瞻性数据进行了单变量和多变量分析。结果显示，伴侣关系质量下降与病假期间承担主要家务责任、疼痛以及社会融合度降低有关。在病假的年轻个体中，伴侣关系质量在首次（6个月）随访时就已出现下降，而在中年女性中，这种下降仅在12个月随访时出现。基线时伴侣关系质量的任何维度与作为资源或障碍的重返工作维度均无关联。因此，我们的结果表明，良好的关系并不能阻止女性重返工作岗位。承担主要家务责任，这意味着病假期间存在家庭压力，预示着伴侣关系质量较低。实际意义在于，治疗病假女性的医疗保健专业人员应强调维持社交网络以及在家中进行充分调整以保障关系质量的重要性。应特别关注病假的年轻女性，因为病假似乎对其伴侣关系有相当大的影响。
