Domestic Factors as Determinant of Sickness Absence with Psychiatric Disorders: A Scoping Review of Nordic Research Published between 2010–2019

Uneven division of domestic factors may contribute to sex differences in sickness absence with psychiatric disorders. The aim of this scoping review was to compile current Nordic research on domestic factors and sickness absence with psychiatric disorders. A systematic search was performed to identify studies from the Nordic countries published between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. Twelve studies were included. Marital status, family situation, work-home interference (in both directions), social affiliation, and loss of child/young adult (suicide, accident, or natural death) were identified as measures of domestic factors. In 8 of the 12 studies, domestic factors were used as co-variates, while four used them as the main exposure. Social affiliation, home-to-work conflict, and total workload were not associated with the outcome. One study found that parents with children older than two years, widows/widowers, and those divorced or unmarried had an increased risk of sickness absence with psychiatric disorders. One study found that work-to-home conflict was associated with sickness absence with stress-related diagnoses in men, and with other mental disorders in women. Finally, one study found that losing a son or daughter aged 16–24 years increased the risk of future sickness absence with a psychiatric disorder regardless of the cause of death. Future studies need to develop concepts, study designs, and measurements to move this research area further. In particular, the concept of “unpaid domestic work” needs theoretical and empirical development.