What Persons with Chronic Health Conditions Need to Maintain or Return to Work—Results of an Online-Survey in Seven European Countries

Nicole Foitzek, Carolina C. Ávila, Ivana Ivandic, Črtomir Bitenc, Maria Cabello, Sonja Gruber, Matilde Leonardi, Amalia Muñoz-Murillo, Chiara Scaratti, Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Anastasia Vlachou, Eva Esteban, Carla Sabariego and Michaela Coenen
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Nicole Foitzek: Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Research Unit for Biopsychosocial Health, Department of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
Carolina C. Ávila: Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Institute of Health Carlos III, CIBER of Mental Health (CIBERSAM), 28038 Madrid, Spain
Ivana Ivandic: Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Research Unit for Biopsychosocial Health, Department of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
Črtomir Bitenc: Development Center for Vocational Rehabilitation, University Rehabilitation Institute Republic of Slovenia, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Maria Cabello: Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Institute of Health Carlos III, CIBER of Mental Health (CIBERSAM), 28038 Madrid, Spain
Sonja Gruber: Disability and Diversity Studies, Carinthia University of Applied Science (CUAS), 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria
Matilde Leonardi: Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit; Neurological Institute Carlo Besta IRCCS Foundation, 20133 Milan, Italy
Amalia Muñoz-Murillo: Research Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Chiara Scaratti: Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit; Neurological Institute Carlo Besta IRCCS Foundation, 20133 Milan, Italy
Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
Anastasia Vlachou: Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Eva Esteban: Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Research Unit for Biopsychosocial Health, Department of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
Carla Sabariego: Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Research Unit for Biopsychosocial Health, Department of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
Michaela Coenen: Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Research Unit for Biopsychosocial Health, Department of Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Chronic health conditions represent the major share of the disease burden in Europe and have a significant impact on work. This study aims to: (1) identify factors that have a negative or positive impact on the work lives of persons with chronic health conditions; (2) explore the needs of these persons to maintain a job or return to work and (3) compare these results with respect to these persons’ occupational status. An online survey was performed in seven European countries. Open-ended survey questions were analyzed using qualitative methods. In total, 487 participants with six chronic health conditions participated. The majority of participants named work-related aspects (such as career development, stress at the workplace, work structure and schedule as well as workload), support of others and attitudes of others as being the factors positively and negatively impact their work lives the most. Our study shed light on the importance of changing the attitudes of supervisors and co-workers to counteract stigmatization of persons with chronic health conditions in the workplace. In conclusion, this study provides a basis for developing new strategies of integration and reintegration at work for persons with chronic health conditions in European countries.

Keywords: employment; chronic disease; work; needs; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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