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The following is a summary of “Symptoms, work situation and work functioning 10 years after rehabilitation of stress-induced exhaustion disorder,” published in the July 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Eskilsson et al.

In Sweden, stress-induced exhaustion disorder (SED) is the leading cause of long-term sick leave, often involving a lengthy and challenging recovery process.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study examining burnout, depression, anxiety, and work-related outcomes in patients with SED 10 years after completing a multimodal rehabilitation program.

They involved 107 patients (91 women and 16 men) diagnosed with SED a decade before the study. Following the diagnosis, all participants completed a multimodal rehabilitation program. Data was collected on burnout, anxiety, and depression symptoms before and after the multimodal rehabilitation program, with additional follow-ups conducted at 1 year and 10 years later. At the 10-year follow-up, the assessment focused on work situation, work functioning, and symptoms of exhaustion, and 89 patients with sleep disorders were employed.

The result showed that symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression remained consistent from the 1-year to the 10-year follow-up post-rehabilitation. Among patients still employed, 73% had changed jobs, and 31.5% had reduced their working hours. The primary reasons for the adjustments were a lack of energy or a shift in priorities. Work functioning was assessed as moderate, with about one-third of participants reporting some degree of SED and one-fifth experiencing moderate-to-severe insomnia.

Investigators concluded that many former patients with SED still face significant health issues a decade post-rehabilitation, and some struggle to return to full-time work, suggesting the need for preventative and organizational-level interventions for a more sustainable work life.

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05975-x