title: Work participation and health-related characteristics of sickness absence beneficiaries with multiple somatic symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim was to study whether high levels of multiple symptoms influenced sick-listed individuals' employment status or desire to return to work (RTW) and whether this was associated with social relations at work.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study nested in a clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2011-2012, 736 (34%) of 2172 sick-listed individuals completed a posted questionnaire and were included. Main outcome was self-reported employment status. The Symptom Check List (SCL-SOM)'s sum score (0-48) was categorized in high (>18) and low (≤18) levels. Previous employment, sick-listing, and use of health care were register-data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses with adjustments were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Beneficiaries with high SCL-SOM score (n = 218, 33%) reported poorer health, job satisfaction, a lower desire to RTW and more problems with supervisors. The risk of being unemployed was higher for this group than for those with a low score. Adjusting for general health reduced the association between symptoms and unemployment, whereas problems with social relations only affected it marginally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sick-listed individuals reporting high levels of symptoms were more often unemployed and less frequently desired to RTW than those with few symptoms. The association could not be explained by problems with social relations at work.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN43004323, and ISRCTN51445682.
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region, Denmark. Electronic address: anne-mette.momsen@stab.rm.dk.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Momsen
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Denmark; Public Health and Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region, Denmark. Electronic address: claus.vinther@stab.rm.dk.
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: COWI A/S, Parallelvej 2, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: mbdn@cowi.dk.
authors.forename: M B D
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: rer@nrcwe.dk.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rugulies
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Occupational Rehabilitation, AiR Haddlandsvegen 20, 3864 Rauland, Norway; Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: chris.jensen@air.no.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062707:Return to Work / Q000523:psychology*; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Medically unexplained symptoms; Return to work; Sickness absence; Symptom severity; Work-related factors