title: Work and common health problems.
abstract: This paper reviews the evidence on the relationship between work and health. It concludes that, overall, the beneficial effects of work outweigh the risks of work, and are greater than the harmful effects of long-term worklessness. That contrasts with increasing trends of sickness absence, long-term incapacity and ill-health retirement attributed to common health problems. It suggests that there needs to be a fundamental shift in how we think about common health problems and work--in health care, the workplace and society.
authors.affiliation: Aylward - Unumprovident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University, UK. gordon.waddell@virgin.net
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waddell
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Mansel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aylward
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007352:Insurance, Life; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018582:Sick Leave; D014937:Work / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology