A female lay perspective on the establishment of long‐term sickness absence

Abstract

In Sweden women account for about 60% of the long‐term cases of sickness absence. The aim of this study was to describe women's explanations as to how long‐term sickness absence arises and becomes permanent, with reference to their personal experience. Semi‐structured interviews were performed with 82 middle‐aged women who have personal experience of long‐term sickness absence. Long‐term sickness absence can be said to arise in three distinguishable “spaces”: the work space, the medico‐legal space and the mental space. In the beginning, the women were positive about sick‐leave as such, which they saw as an opportunity for physical rest. But as time went on, they came to regard sick‐leave as creating a vicious circle of new problems related to inactivity and isolation. Apart from this vicious circle and chronic physical impairments, certain conditions at the workplace, at the hospital and the social insurance office transformed seemingly trivial sick‐leaves into long‐term and irreversible sickness absences