Sickness absence in relation to first childbirth by occupational group: a Swedish cohort study

Background

Childbirth has been suggested to increase sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP). This may vary by occupation; however, knowledge in this field remains limited. We explored SA and DP in the years before and after childbirth among women in four occupational groups and among those without any occupation.

Methods

We conducted a register-based study of nulliparous women aged 18-39 years, living in Sweden on December 31, 2004 (n = 492,504). Women were categorized into five skill-level based occupational groups and three childbirth groups; no childbirths within three years (B0), first childbirth in 2005 with no childbirth within three years (B1), and first childbirth in 2005 with at least one more birth within three years (B1+). We compared crude and standardized annual mean SA (in spells>14 days) and DP net days in the three years before and three years after first childbirth date.

Results

Women in the highest skill level occupations and managers had generally lower mean SA/DP days e.g., B0: 11.3, B1: 11.6, B1+: 6.8 during the third year after first childbirth than the lowest skill level occupations group; B0: 28.1, B1: 22.8, B1+: 15.2 days. In B1 and B1+, absolute differences in mean SA/DP, particularly in SA, among occupational groups were highest during the year before childbirth. DP was most common in B0, regardless of group and year.

Conclusions

We found that women's mean SA/DP days before and after first childbirth were higher with decreasing skill-level of the occupational group, with these differences being most pronounced in the year before childbirth. DP was most common among women not giving birth, regardless of occupational group.

Key messages

Women’s mean SA/DP days before and after first childbirth increased with decreasing skill-level of the occupational group and these differences were most pronounced in the year before childbirth.

Cumulative exposure to childhood adversity, and treated attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a cohort study of 543 650 adolescents and young adults in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Though childhood adversity (CA) has been associated with the risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), little is known about the effect of cumulative CAs and whether there are clusters of CAs that are more closely related with ADHD.

METHODS

We used a Swedish cohort of 543 650 individuals born 1987-1991. Register-based CAs included familial death, substantial parental substance abuse and psychiatric disorder, substantial parental criminality, parental separation, household public assistance recipiency, and residential instability. Individuals were followed from year 2006 when they were 15-19 years of age, for treated ADHD, defined as a registered ICD diagnosis and/or prescription of medications to treat ADHD. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Latent Class Analyses (LCA) were used to identify clusters based on the different CAs.

RESULTS

All CAs increased the odds of ADHD in late adolescence and early adulthood; ORs ranged from 1.6 (95% CI 1.5-1.8) for familial death to 2.7 (95% CI 2.6-2.9) for household public assistance. We found a dose-response relationship between cumulative CA and ADHD; individuals with 4+ CAs had a markedly increased risk for ADHD (OR 5.5, 95% CI 5.0-6.0). LCA analyses revealed six distinct classes of CA associated with ADHD, of which 'exposure to most adversities' entailed highest risk.

CONCLUSION

CA is a strong risk factor for ADHD, particularly when accumulated. Early and efficient detection of CA is of importance for interventions targeted to improve long-term mental health outcomes among disadvantaged children.

Suicide in first episode psychosis: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

Relatively little is known about suicide in diagnostic subtypes of first episode psychosis (FEP). Our aim was to assess suicide rates and potential risk factors for suicide in FEP.

METHODS

This is a national register-based cohort study of patients born in 1973-1978 in Sweden and who were hospitalized with a FEP between ages 15 and 30years (n=2819). The patients were followed from date of discharge until death, emigration, or 31st of December 2008. The suicide rates for six diagnostic subtypes of FEP were calculated. Suicide incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to evaluate the association between suicide and psychiatric, familial, social, and demographic factors.

RESULTS

In total 121 patients died by suicide. The overall suicide rate was 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-5.0) per 1000person-years. The highest suicide rates were found in depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms and in delusional disorder. In an adjusted model, the strongest risk factors for suicide were self-harm (IRR 2.7, CI 1.7-4.4) or a conviction for violent crime (IRR 2.0, CI 1.3-3.2). Also having a first-degree relative with a schizophrenia/bipolar diagnosis (IRR 2.1, CI 1.2-3.6) or substance use disorder (IRR 2.0, CI 1.2-3.2) were significant risk factors for suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

Impulsive behavior such as self-harm as well as having a family history of severe mental disorder or substance use are important risk factors for suicide in FEP.

A five year diagnostic follow-up of 1,840 patients after a first episode non-schizophrenia and non-affective psychosis

OBJECTIVE

It is not clear which patients with a first psychotic episode will develop schizophrenia. We performed a diagnostic follow-up of patients treated for a first time non-affective, non-schizophrenia psychosis and explored potential predictors of a subsequent schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnosis.

METHODS

This register-based cohort study comprises individuals born between 1973 and 1978 in Sweden, with a first hospital-treated psychosis excluding schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms (n=1840). The patients were followed for five years regarding subsequent diagnoses. Psychiatric, social, family history of psychiatric illness, premorbid intellectual level, head injuries and obstetrical complications were investigated by logistic regression as predictors of schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnosis.

RESULTS

During the follow-up, 18% were diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, 5% were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, whereas 29% were not re-admitted to a psychiatric clinic. Patients with a first-degree relative hospitalized for schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder had an increased risk of subsequent diagnosis for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (odds ratio 1.9 and 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.0)), whereas previous severe criminality was associated with a decreased risk (odds ratio 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.3-0.8).

CONCLUSION

Diagnostic outcome was diverse after a first non-schizophrenia and non-affective psychosis. Family history of severe mental illness and no previous conviction for severe criminality were the strongest risk factors for a future schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnosis.

Suicidal behavior among delinquent former child welfare clients

Child welfare clients represent a high-risk group for delinquency and adult criminality, but also for future suicidal behavior. We examine associations between delinquency and suicidal behavior in a national child welfare population. This register-based cohort study is based on data for all Swedish former child welfare clients born between 1972 and 1981 that experienced interventions before their adolescent years. We followed 27,228 individuals from age 20 years until 31 December 2006. Juvenile delinquency was defined as being convicted of at least one crime between age 15 and 19. The risk of suicidal behavior was calculated as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Fifteen percent of the women and 40% of the men had at least one conviction between the age 15 and 19. The adjusted risk of suicidal behavior among women with five or more convictions was 3.5 (95% CI 2.0-6.2); corresponding IRR for men was 3.9 (95% CI 3.1-4.9). Child welfare experience-specifically of out-of-home care-in combination with delinquency is a potent risk factor for suicidal behavior among young adults. However, we cannot exclude that some of this association is an epiphenomenon of uncontrolled confounders, such as impulsivity or severity of psychiatric disease. Despite this caveat, results should be disseminated to practitioners in the health and correction services.