Optimism and pessimism as predictors of work disability with a diagnosis of depression: A prospective cohort study of onset and recovery

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• 作者：Kim Kronströ ; m^a ; ^{kim.kronstrom@fimnet.fi} ; Hasse Karlsson^b ; Hermann Nabi^c ; Tuula Oksanen^d ; Paula Salo^e ; Noora Sjö ; sten^e ; Marianna Virtanen^f ; Jaana Pentti^e ; Mika Kivim&#xe4 ; ki^g ; Jussi Vahtera^h ; ⁱ
• 关键词：Optimism ; Pessimism ; Depression ; Work disability
• 刊名：Journal of Affective Disorders
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：April 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：130
• 期：1-2
• 页码：294-299
• 全文大小：307 K

文摘

Background

Personality characteristics are assumed to affect to the vulnerability to depression and its outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine optimism and pessimism as predictors of depression-related work disability and subsequent return to work.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 38,214 public sector employees with no record of diagnosed depression. Optimism and pessimism were measured using the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Records of long-term (> 90 days) work disability with a diagnosis of depression and subsequent return to work until the end of 2005 were obtained from the national health registers.

Results

During the mean follow-up of 4.0 (SD = 2.3) years, 287 employees encountered work disability with a diagnosis of depression. Of them, 164 (57 % ) returned to work during the follow-up. One unit increase in the optimism mean score (range 1–4) was associated with a 25 % lower risk of work disability due to depression and a 37 % higher probability of returning to work after a work disability period when adjusted for age and sex. In the fully-adjusted model hazard ratios per one unit increase in optimism were 0.79 (95 % CI 0.66–0.96) for work disability and 1.30 (95 % CI 1.01–1.66) for return to work. The pessimism mean score (range 1–4) was only associated with a lower probability of returning to work (fully-adjusted HR per one unit increase 0.66, 95 % Cl 0.49–0.88).

Conclusion

The level of optimism was a stronger predictor of work disability with a diagnosis of depression than the level of pessimism, while both optimism and pessimism predicted returning to work.