Individual, cultural and structural causes for sick leave and exclusion from work in early age (18-40 yrs) (UngTrygd)

The aim of this joint project is to study why an increasing proportion of the young population is either not included, or prematurely excluded, from the working force, thereby accounting for long term (life long) disability pensions or social security sup port. The present network of researchers has been co-operating since 2006 to establish a broader base for sociomedical and social security research, and has decided to make a joint effort in this area by means of access to several data bases, among which the Young-HUNT database in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey and the Nordland County Health Survey are central. Linking baseline data from these databases to the national social security register (FD-trygd) allows for prospective research designs. Addition al subprojects include a qualitative (focus group design) study of young long term sick listed people in Nord-Trøndelag, and recently collected data from a controlled intervention introducing dialogue and extended self-certified sick leave options among m unicipality employees in Kristiansand. This substudy will extend to a Norwegian-Danish co-operation exploring attitudes and sick leave behaviours in two different cultural settings with different constraints in Kristiansand and Århus. We believe that utilizing the opportunities in a research consortium and different datasets make it possible to address complementary research problems (individual, cultural and structural determinants) in a cost-effective way and within a relatively short time. Dedicat ed collaborators in this network are: From Tromsø: Assistant Professor Nils Fleten, Olaug Lian and Professor Georg Høyer From Trondheim: Professor Roar Johnsen, Steinar Westin, Turid Lingås Holmen, Assistant Professor Steinar Krokstad and Baard Paulsen, Research Fellow Sara Maria Nilsen, Erik Sund and Anita Oxaas Karlsen From Oslo: Professor Bjørgulf Claussen From Århus: Professor Claus Vinther Nielsen From Liverpool: Professor Margareth Whitehead