title: Global absenteeism and presenteeism in mental health patients referred through primary care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disability from mental health (MH) symptoms impairs workers' functioning. Most of what is known about the MH of workers relates to their experiences after intervention or work absence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To profile the clinical symptoms, self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism and treatment response of workers with MH symptoms at the point of accessing MH care and compare the characteristics of patients referred with or without problems related to work.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of 11 years of patient data collected in a Shared Mental Health Care (SMHC) clinic referred within a primary care setting in Ontario, Canada. Multiple regression with MH disorders was used to predict absenteeism and presenteeism. Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed using the 12-item self-administered version of the WHO-DAS 2. Symptom profiles were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some psychiatric disorders (depression, somatization, anxiety) contributed more to predicting absenteeism and presenteeism than others. Patients referred with work-related problems differed from the general SMHC population in terms of sex and type and number of symptoms. Treatment response was good in both groups after a mean of three treatment visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with work-related mental health complaints formed a distinct clinical group that benefitted equally from the intervention(s) provided by SMHC.
authors.affiliation: Researcher, St. Joseph's Care Group, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: S Kathleen
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.|Medical Director, Mental Health Services, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.|Director of Shared Mental Health Care, Fort William Clinic, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.|Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haggarty
authors.affiliation: Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D000069597:Presenteeism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Mental health; rehabilitation; shared care; work