{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,22]],"date-time":"2026-06-22T13:50:58Z","timestamp":1782136258873,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,25]],"date-time":"2025-11-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764028800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program Societal Challenges","award":["101016127"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101016127"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004359","name":"Swedish Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2021-00154"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021-00154"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004359","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Essential workers, particularly in health care and social services, were critical during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet their mental health outcomes remain understudied. We examined changes in (1) sickness absence (SA) due to common mental disorders (CMDs), and (2) antidepressant prescription in health and social care workers during versus pre-pandemic periods.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using Swedish national registers, we included health care and social workers (aged 19-65\u00a0years) from 2018 to 2021. We compared quarterly incidence rate (IR) trends for SA &amp;gt;90\u00a0days due to CMDs, and for antidepressant prescriptions, across 2 periods: pre-pandemic (January 2018 to February 2020) and during the pandemic (March 2020 to December 2021) using interrupted time-series analysis. Analyses accounted for seasonality and were stratified by age, sex, and education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There was no evidence of a difference in IR trends for SA &amp;gt;90\u00a0days or for antidepressant prescription pre-pandemic versus during the pandemic for the entire sector. However, trends of IR for antidepressant prescription increased among workers in medical laboratories (8.7% per quarter change; 95% CI, 4.4%-13.1%) and hospitals (1.5%; 95% CI, 0.6%-2.5%) and decreased per quarter for ambulance transports (5.4%; 95% CI, 0.4-10.0%). Women (10.9%; 95% CI, 7.2%-14.7%) and highly educated individuals (10.0%; 95% CI, 4.1%-16.1%) working in medical laboratories as well as 19-25-year-olds working in primary and dental care (7.3%; 95% CI, 1.7%-13.1%) also experienced an increase in antidepressant prescription.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although overall trends in SA &amp;gt;90\u00a0days and in antidepressant prescription remained stable, certain occupational and sociodemographic groups were found to be affected in regard to antidepressant prescription. These groups warrant targeted support in future health crises.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/joccuh\/uiaf067","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,25]],"date-time":"2025-11-25T11:26:26Z","timestamp":1764069986000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Sickness absence due to common mental disorders and antidepressant prescription among health and social care workers during compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide register study of the Swedish population"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"68","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3908-3600","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefanie","family":"Kirchner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Mental Health Research Unit, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna ,","place":["Austria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katalin","family":"G\u00e9mes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm ,","place":["Sweden"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pontus","family":"Josefsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm ,","place":["Sweden"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Josep Maria","family":"Haro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu (IRSJD), Sant Boi de Llobregat , Barcelona ,","place":["Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mireia","family":"Felez-Nobrega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu (IRSJD), Sant Boi de Llobregat , Barcelona ,","place":["Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heidi","family":"Taipale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm ,","place":["Sweden"]},{"name":"Niuvanniemi Hospital , Kuopio ,","place":["Finland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marit","family":"Sijbrandij","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam ,","place":["The Netherlands"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anke B","family":"Witteveen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam ,","place":["The Netherlands"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2377-619X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Melchior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epid\u00e9miologie Sociale, Sant\u00e9 Mentale, Addictions (ESSMA), Institut Pierre Louis d'Epid\u00e9miologie et de Sant\u00e9 Publique (IPLESP), INSERM, Sorbonne Universit\u00e9, 75571 \u00a0 Paris, Cedex 12 ,","place":["France"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Caggiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services , Lecco ,","place":["Italy"]},{"name":"Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Conflitti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Lora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services , Lecco ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matteo Monzio","family":"Compagnoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jakob","family":"Bergstr\u00f6m","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm ,","place":["Sweden"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5227-0721","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ellenor","family":"Mittendorfer-Rutz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm ,","place":["Sweden"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101573","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eclinm.2022.101573","article-title":"Suicide numbers during the first 9-15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-existing trends: an interrupted time series analysis in 33 countries","volume":"51","author":"Pirkis","year":"2022","journal-title":"eClinicalMedicine."},{"issue":"7","key":"2026040117441506100_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.17359","article-title":"Exploring the gap between excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths in 67 countries","volume":"4","author":"Sanmarchi","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"kqz068","DOI":"10.1093\/occmed\/kqz068","article-title":"Managing common mental health disorders in healthcare workers","author":"See","year":"2019","journal-title":"Occup Med"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2019.03.037","article-title":"Antidepressant treatment among social workers, human service professionals, and non-human service professionals: a multi-cohort study in Finland, Sweden and Denmark","volume":"250","author":"Rantonen","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"issue":"11","key":"2026040117441506100_ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-054533","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sickness absence for mental ill health in National Health Service staff","volume":"11","author":"Van Der Plaat","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026040117441506100_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0447.2012.01902.x","article-title":"Common mental disorders and long-term sickness absence in a general working population. The Hordaland health study","volume":"127","author":"Knudsen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Acta Psychiatr Scand"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-12-745","article-title":"Activities and sources of income after a period of long-term sick leave\u2014a population-based prospective cohort study","volume":"12","author":"Wikman","year":"2012","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"e1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1017\/S2045796020001158","article-title":"Psychological impact of Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in a highly burdened area of north-east Italy","volume":"30","author":"Lasalvia","year":"2021","journal-title":"Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026040117441506100_ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4951","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19094951","article-title":"Mental health outcomes in Australian healthcare and aged-care workers during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"19","author":"McGuinness","year":"2022","journal-title":"IJERPH."},{"issue":"6","key":"2026040117441506100_ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.5271\/sjweh.1050","article-title":"Psychosocial work environment and mental health\u2014a meta-analytic review","volume":"32","author":"Stansfeld","year":"2006","journal-title":"Scand J Work Environ Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026040117441506100_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1136\/oemed-2020-106567","article-title":"The COVID-19 pandemic: major risks to healthcare and other workers on the front line","volume":"77","author":"Sim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Occup Environ Med"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026040117441506100_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"755","DOI":"10.1007\/s10903-016-0490-3","article-title":"Factors influencing suicide behaviours in immigrant and ethno-cultural minority groups: a systematic review","volume":"19","author":"Lai","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Immigrant Minority Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1360","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-08776-8","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric and mental health services in Europe: suffering experienced by professionals","volume":"22","author":"Kane","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"10","key":"2026040117441506100_ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5961","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19105961","article-title":"Mental health and well-being needs among non-health essential workers during recent epidemics and pandemics","volume":"19","author":"Chowdhury","year":"2022","journal-title":"IJERPH."},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/ijph.2022.1604720","article-title":"Employee mental health during COVID-19 adaptation: observations of occupational safety and health\/human resource professionals in Ireland","volume":"67","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Public Health"},{"issue":"10","key":"2026040117441506100_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"874","DOI":"10.1097\/JOM.0000000000002595","article-title":"Altered mental distress among employees from different occupational groups and industries during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany","volume":"64","author":"Casjens","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026040117441506100_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2021-217692","article-title":"Occupational health, frontline workers and COVID-19 lockdown: new gender-related inequalities?","volume":"76","author":"Utzet","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Community Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026040117441506100_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-019-00511-8","article-title":"The longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA) and its use in medical research","volume":"34","author":"Ludvigsson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Epidemiol"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref19","volume-title":"MiDAS\u2014sickness benefit and rehabilitation allowance. MiDAS\u2014sjukpenning och rehabiliteringspenning.","author":"\u00d6sterlund","year":"2011"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"450","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-11-450","article-title":"External review and validation of the Swedish national inpatient register","volume":"11","author":"Ludvigsson","year":"2011","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"7","key":"2026040117441506100_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"726","DOI":"10.1002\/pds.1294","article-title":"The new Swedish prescribed drug register\u2014opportunities for pharmacoepidemiological research and experience from the first six months","volume":"16","author":"Wettermark","year":"2007","journal-title":"Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf"},{"issue":"16","key":"2026040117441506100_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4759","DOI":"10.1017\/S003329172400299X","article-title":"Suicidal behavior in patients with severe mental disorders prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"54","author":"Mittendorfer-Rutz","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychol Med"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref23","volume-title":"2\u2014Statistical classification of economic activities","author":"Eurostat. NACE Rev","year":"2008"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref24","first-page":"48","volume-title":"Statens Offentliga Utredningar","year":"2023"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref25","first-page":"157","article-title":"WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic","volume":"91","author":"Cucinotta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Biomed."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"724","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-022-04389-x","article-title":"Healthcare workers\u2019 heterogeneous mental-health responses to prolonging COVID-19 pandemic: a full year of monthly follow up in Finland","volume":"22","author":"Rosenstr\u00f6m","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2023.42","article-title":"Longitudinal assessment of mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic long-term exposure on health care workers from a north west Italian hospital","volume":"17","author":"Caramello","year":"2023","journal-title":"Disaster Med Public Health Prep"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026040117441506100_ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/smi.3478","article-title":"Long-term psycho-traumatic consequences of the COVID-19 health crisis among emergency department healthcare workers","volume":"40","author":"Douplat","year":"2024","journal-title":"Stress Health"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2022.04.003","article-title":"Psychological distress among outpatient physicians in private practice linked to COVID-19 and related mental health during the second lockdown","volume":"151","author":"Frajerman","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Psychiatr Res"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2022.1031436","article-title":"Editorial: impact of COVID-19 on the clinical microbiology laboratory: preparing for the next pandemic","volume":"12","author":"Dunbar","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Cell Infect Microbiol"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.754861","article-title":"COVID-19 testing in Sweden during 2020\u2014split responsibilities and multi-level challenges","volume":"9","author":"Fredriksson","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1052382","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1052382","article-title":"Under pressure\u2014the working situation of Swedish healthcare managers during the first wave of COVID-19","volume":"13","author":"Bj\u00f6rk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/33034","article-title":"Trends in remote health care consumption in Sweden: comparison before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"9","author":"Nymberg","year":"2022","journal-title":"JMIR Hum Factors"},{"issue":"7","key":"2026040117441506100_ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2419","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17072419","article-title":"Presenteeism, psychosocial working conditions and work ability among care workers\u2014a cross-sectional Swedish population-based study","volume":"17","author":"Gustafsson","year":"2020","journal-title":"IJERPH."},{"issue":"12","key":"2026040117441506100_ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2459","DOI":"10.1111\/apa.15582","article-title":"The first eight months of Sweden\u2019s COVID-19 strategy and the key actions and actors that were involved","volume":"109","author":"Ludvigsson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Paediatr"},{"issue":"10278","key":"2026040117441506100_ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"950","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)00436-0","article-title":"The changing face of medical professionalism and the impact of COVID-19","volume":"397","author":"Goddard","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026040117441506100_ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-025-12888-2","article-title":"Organizational interventions to support and promote the mental health of healthcare workers during pandemics and epidemics: a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"Belita","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026040117441506100_ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1901","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17061901","article-title":"Effectiveness of workplace interventions for improving absenteeism, productivity, and work ability of employees: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"17","author":"Tarro","year":"2020","journal-title":"IJERPH."},{"issue":"9","key":"2026040117441506100_ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-029836","article-title":"Changes in prescription of antidepressants and disability pension due to back pain, compared with other musculoskeletal and other somatic diagnoses: a cohort study in Sweden","volume":"9","author":"Ropponen","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"2026040117441506100_ref40","article-title":"7.2% of people in the EU suffer from chronic depression","author":"Eurostat","year":"2021"}],"container-title":["Journal of Occupational Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/joh\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/joccuh\/uiaf067\/65496460\/uiaf067.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/joh\/article-pdf\/68\/1\/uiaf067\/65496460\/uiaf067.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/joh\/article-pdf\/68\/1\/uiaf067\/65496460\/uiaf067.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T21:44:23Z","timestamp":1775079863000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/joh\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/joccuh\/uiaf067\/8342066"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,25]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/joccuh\/uiaf067","relation":{},"ISSN":["1348-9585"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1348-9585","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,25]]},"article-number":"uiaf067"}}