1Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Scand J Public Health. 2014 Feb;42(1):96-103. doi: 10.1177/1403494813500590. Epub 2013 Aug 14.
The contribution of general psychological aspects, such as emotions, has received little focus in research on sickness absence. We wanted to study the relationship between shame and sickness absence, which factors that explained differences in levels of shame, and if shame predicted subsequent sickness absence.
We employed a Swedish population-based cohort of current sickness absentees (19-64 years old), responding to a mailed questionnaire in 2008. Data was linked to national registries on sickness absence.
The young, those born outside the Nordic countries, those on lower incomes and those with higher level of education reported being more ashamed of their sickness absence. Those with more sickness absence in the past were also more likely to report higher levels of shame. Level of shame was not associated with gender or occupational class. Compared to those absent for a somatic cause, mental or co-morbid illness was associated with higher levels of shame. Those reporting high level of shame were more likely to have prolonged sickness absence the following year. Symptoms of depression at baseline only partly explained these associations.
Our results suggest that shame might prolong sickness absence. Increased understanding of the impact of social and emotional aspects around sickness absence could be an important source for improved quality of rehabilitation.
一般心理方面（如情绪）的贡献在病假研究中关注较少。我们希望研究羞耻感与病假之间的关系，解释羞耻感水平差异的因素，以及羞耻感是否预测随后的病假。
我们使用了瑞典基于人群的当前病假队列（19-64 岁），在 2008 年对邮寄问卷做出回应。数据与国家病假登记处相关联。
年轻人、非北欧国家出生的人、收入较低的人和教育程度较高的人报告说对自己的病假感到更加羞耻。过去病假时间较长的人也更有可能报告更高水平的羞耻感。羞耻感的程度与性别或职业阶层无关。与因躯体原因缺勤的人相比，精神或合并疾病与更高水平的羞耻感相关。报告高羞耻感的人更有可能在次年出现长时间的病假。基线时的抑郁症状仅部分解释了这些关联。
我们的结果表明，羞耻感可能会延长病假时间。增加对病假期间社会和情感方面影响的理解，可能是改善康复质量的重要来源。
