Employment Status of Depressed Individuals in an 11-Year Follow-up: Results From the Finnish Health 2011 Survey

Objectives:The aim of this study was to describe the employment and mental health status of persons with depressive disorders after an 11-year follow-up, and identify individual and work-related factors that predict adverse outcomes.Methods:Two nationally representative health surveys, Health 2000 and its follow-up, Health 2011 were used, and persons with depressive disorders at baseline (n=275) were re-interviewed after 11 years.Results:Information on employment status was available for all 263 participants in 2011. About 15.7% had been granted disability pension by 2011, while 55.5% were employed and 18.2% on old-age pension. High job control was the only statistically significant predictor of lower probability of disability pension (adjusted odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.23 to 0.77). Being unmarried (adjusted odds ratio 2.99, 95% CI 1.19 to 7.52) was associated with persistent depressive disorder.Conclusions:Job control emerged as an important predictor of long-term employment outcomes among depressed individuals.