Reading fiction during sick leave, a multidimensional occupation

Exploring risk factors for developing occupational ill health - departing from an occupational perspective

BACKGROUND

Sick leave due to stress-related mental ill health increases in society. In occupational therapy, occupational balance is considered important for experiencing health and well-being. Thus, knowledge regarding occupational balance and occupational value constitute essential parts of occupational therapists' work with people suffering from occupational ill health.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to analyse the relationships between sociodemographic factors, occupational value, occupational balance and perceived health in people suffering from occupational ill health.

METHODS

In a quantitative cross-sectional study data from a total of 218 individuals were included, 192 women, 22 men and 4 individuals who did not specify their gender. Data were collected by means of surveys prior to an occupational therapy intervention. The instruments used included OVal-pd, OBQ, EQ5D and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data were analysed using regression and decision tree analysis.

RESULTS

The results show that individuals who experience an imbalance in their everyday life and who have few or no experiences of daily occupations imprinted by socio-symbolic occupational value experienced lower perceived health.

CONCLUSIONS

Low level of experiences of balance in daily life and occupational value seems to be the main risk factors for the development of occupational ill health, rather than sociodemographic factors.

Women's lived experience of well-being in everyday life when living with a stress-related illness

Purpose: The aim of the study was to describe how women with stress-related illness experience well-being in everyday life.Methods: The study was based on a reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach and the methodological principles of openness, flexibility and bridling. Twelve women, aged 27-54 years, diagnosed with stress-related illness were included. Data were collected with lifeworld interviews based on photographs taken by the women relating to well-being in everyday life. The data were analysed for meaning.Results: Well-being emerged in situations where women could feel an unconditional beingness. This entails not having demands on oneself and includes some form of freedom from having to perform. The surroundings and supportive environments are important for this unconditional beingness to be present. In order to feel well-being in everyday life, the women need to balance their energy and find helpful tools that can achieve a balance in everyday life.Conclusions: Healthcare staff need to understand the importance of unconditional beingness in supportive environments for patients living with stress-related illness in order to support their health and well-being. It is also important to support patients in finding helpful tools that can aid them to achieve a balance in everyday life.

Women's experiences of being in the sick leave process

BACKGROUND

Being on sick leave is a risky situation, with loss of meaningful activities, exclusion from the labour market and losing the worker role. Although the benefits of the person's active involvement in the sick leave process have been emphasized, an increase in sickness absence and longer sick leave periods is still seen, especially among women. Further studies are needed to more deeply understand the person's own view of the situation.

AIMS/OBJECTIVES

To explore the experiences of being on sick leave among a group of women.

METHODS

An explorative, qualitative design was used. The analysis was based on individual, semi-structured interviews with 13 women, using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Three categories emerged that describe the women's experiences of the situation of being on sick leave: being regarded as an object, being supported and being engaged. The categories appeared as either barriers or enablers during the sick leave process.

CONCLUSIONS

The sick leave process could be better understood through multiple dimensions, working at the individual, organizational and societal levels. Using occupation based models underlining the importance of the interaction between person, occupation (work activity) and the environment may contribute to elucidating the complexity in supporting options for the return to work.