The Psychiatrist (1998) 22: 428-432. doi: 10.1192/pb.22.7.428
© 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Selected characteristics of people on long-term sick leave

Suzanna Rose, Clinical Researcher*

Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX

Pamela J. Taylor, Professor of Special Hospital Psychiatry

Institute of Psychiatry, London

* Correspondence

All personnel within one UK emergency service who had been identified during a six-month period as having been on sick leave for eight consecutive weeks or more were identified. Those consenting were interviewed once using both a semi-structured questionnaire and standardised instruments. There were three main objectives: to discover the nature of the presenting problem in terms of illness or injury, the extent to which psychological problems presented and the relative importance of general and/or traumatic stressors. The resulting sample of 17 people accounted for 2–3% of the workforce. Fifteen agreed to take part and 13 to full interview. Of the 14 who completed the Hilton Drinking Behaviour Questionnaire 10 exceeded the threshold consistent with problem drinking. The reason for sick leave in all these cases was recorded as physical injury only.