Identification of Depression and Screening for Work Disabilities among Long-Term Unemployed People

Kirsti Nurmela, Aino Mattila, Virpi Heikkinen, Jukka Uitti, Aarne Ylinen and Pekka Virtanen
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Kirsti Nurmela: Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Aino Mattila: Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Virpi Heikkinen: Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, 33521 Tampere, Finland
Jukka Uitti: Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, 33521 Tampere, Finland
Aarne Ylinen: Department of Neurological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
Pekka Virtanen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: The study explores whether clinical screening targeted at work disabilities among long-term unemployed people reveals eligible individuals for a disability pension and the importance of depression in granting the disability pensions. A total of 364 participants of the screening project were considered as eligible to apply for disability pension. Among them, 188 were diagnosed as clinically depressed. They were classified into those with earlier depression diagnosis ( n = 85), those whose depression had not been diagnosed earlier ( n = 103), and those without diagnosed depression ( n = 176). The association of this ‘Depression identification pattern’ with being granted a disability pension was explored by logistic regression analyses. Compared to those with earlier diagnosis, those whose depression had not been diagnosed earlier were granted disability pension more commonly (72% vs. 54% OR 2.2, p = 0.012). Corresponding figures of the undepressed were 73%, OR 2.3, p = 0.002. The adjustments did not affect the results. Clinical examination of the long-term unemployed people in terms of work disability seems to be worthwhile. In particular, the examination reveals new depression diagnoses, which contribute more to the award of disability pension than depression diagnosed earlier by regular health care. Novel ways to detect depression among the unemployed should be implemented in the health and employment services.

Keywords: ability to work; depression; disability pension; health care; identification; unemployment (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 (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:909-:d:144447

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