Falling between two stools; how a weak co-operation between the social security and the unemployment agencies obstructs rehabilitation of unemployed sick-listed persons.
OBJECTIVE
To explore significant factors behind the weak co-operation between local social insurance and unemployment agencies impairing the rehabilitation of unemployed sick-listed persons.


METHODS
Individual, semi-structured face-to-face interviews with main actors directly involved in the sick-listing and rehabilitation process were conducted in the year 2000. In all 39 persons were interviewed: 25 professionals (physicians, public employment and social insurance officers) and 14 clients. Data were analysed according to Grounded theory method.


RESULTS
The majority of unemployed sick-listed persons were declared too sick to work and were erased from the unemployment registers. This measure weakened the incentives for co-operation between the two main rehabilitation actors. The implication was that the unemployed sick-listed persons lost the opportunity of the co-ordinated rehabilitation they were entitled to. Three significant factors behind this process were identified by the main actors: indistinct regulation of co-operation, shifting political goals over time and conflicting goals between agencies; the last factor mainly a consequence of the other two.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that labour market changes and manifest political goals influence the rehabilitation efforts giving low priority to difficult-to-place individuals such as unemployed sick-listed persons. In fact, a labour market problem turns into a medical problem. The hypothesis needs further testing in quantitative studies.
Eriksson
Ulla Britt
UB
Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden. ulla-britt.eriksson@kau.se
Engström
Lars-Gunnar
LG
Starrin
Bengt
B
Janson
Staffan
S
D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018868:Insurance, Disability; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D018582:Sick Leave; D012943:Social Security; D013548:Sweden; D014478:Unemployment