Ill health retirement in Scottish teachers: process, outcomes and re-employment.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the process, causes and outcomes of ill health retirement (IHR) in teachers in Scotland. Perceptions and experience of occupational health services (OHS), access to rehabilitation and redeployment, current health, post retirement experience and predictors of re-employment were identified.


METHODS
537 teachers who retired due to ill health between April 1998 and March 2000 were mailed our IHR questionnaire by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency.


RESULTS
The most common cause of IHR was mental disorders (37%), followed by diseases of the musculoskeletal system (18%). 11% of teachers attended an OHS prior to IHR. 9% of teachers were offered part-time work and 5% were offered alternative work. 63% of retired teachers stated their health had improved and 48% said they would like to work again. 36% of the surveyed teachers have found re-employment since their retirement. On unadjusted analyses, re-employment of teachers after IHR was significantly associated with sex, having dependants, job group, cause of IHR, health having improved and wanting to work again. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed three variables as independent predictors of re-employment: having dependants, job group and cause of IHR.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first comprehensive study investigating teachers' experiences of IHR in Scotland. The findings highlight substantial lack of support for teachers in a number of areas which need to be addressed by managers and employers. Our study confirms the need for rehabilitation and teacher support services in order to try and retain experienced teachers in the profession.
Brown
Judith
J
Healthy Working Lives Research Group, Public Health & Health Policy Section, Division of Community Based Sciences, University of Glasgow, 1 Lilybank Gardens, G12 8RZ, Glasgow, UK.
Gilmour
W Harper
WH
Macdonald
Ewan B
EB
D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D012046:Rehabilitation; D012179:Retirement; D012606:Scotland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires