Abstract
Objective: to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the absence from work due to Mental Behavioral Disorders (MBD) among federal government workers in the state of Tocantins-Brazil and also to investigate whether pre-selected variables have influenced on the absence from work.
Methods: we collected data from 103 federal government workers with at least one record of absence from work due to mental disorders from April 2011 to December 2012. Data were obtained from electronic medical records and information from Portal da Transparência of Brazilian Federal Government.
Results: “depressive episodes”, “reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders” and “other anxiety disorders” were the most frequent causes of absence. Diagnosis of “schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders” had the highest average of medical leave per person, while “mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use” had the highest average of days of absence per person. In the partial correlation analysis, the results indicated that workers with shorter employment time who have taken medical leaves due to mental disorders spent more days off work than those who were already working in these same environments before.
Conclusion: the results reinforce the concept of “mental health” and “work” as inseparable in the current production environment, which includes the public sector work environment.
Keywords:
mental disorders; occupational health; public sector
Thumbnail
