University College London researchers, writing in the BMJ, have been studying the 1985–1988 sickness records of 6,500 London-based civil servants, and comparing with mortality up to 2004.
The study found that 30% of people who had at least one seven-day period off work had a 66% increased risk of premature death compared to those who had not had any long periods of sick leave, with the highest mortality risk (four times the risk of death) among those who were off work with heart disease, stroke or related conditions.
The ‘unexpected’ finding of the study was that people who had long spells of sick leave for mental-health reasons are twice as likely to die from cancer as more healthy employees. The lead author, Jenny Head, said it was the first time this link had been made: ‘We didn't study the reason, but it might be people that tend to be depressed might be less likely to seek help from a doctor or being prone to depression could affect your cancer prognosis or depression might affect adherence to treatment.’
Source: BBC News Online, 3 October 2008