Short-term sick leave due to epilepsy in the Swedish Prospective Regional Epilepsy Database and Biobank for Individualized Clinical Treatment (PREDICT).

Abstract

Objective: Epilepsy is associated with low socioeconomic standing and increases the risk of sick leave. Longer periods resulting in benefit payments are captured by administrative data, but the disease also entails a risk of repeated short sick leave periods, which have so far not been studied or quantified. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of short sick leave in persons with epilepsy (PWE) and the characteristics of these PWE.

Methods: A prospective multicenter study, Prospective Regional Epilepsy Database and Biobank for Individualized Clinical Treatment (PREDICT) project, based on medical records and yearly self-report questionnaires in 2020-2023. PWE from five neurology departments who were working, studying, or applying for work were included, and they reported the number of sick leave days the past year in the questionnaires. Socioeconomic data was retrieved from Statistics Sweden. Demographic and clinical factors were compared by chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, or Mann-Whitney U-test.

Results: Of the 288 included PWE, 76.4% (n = 220) stated not having stayed at home due to their epilepsy, 13.9% (n = 40) replied 1-5 days, 1.4% (n = 4) 6-10 days, and 8.3% (n = 27) >10 days. More recently diagnosed PWE reported more sick leave days. Short-term sick leave was more prevalent in those with seizures, with medication side effects, and in those with polytherapy. Demographic and socioeconomic factors did not differ between those with or without sick leave days. In the 184 participants who had replied to the questionnaire at the 1 and/or 2 years' follow-up, the distribution did not differ from the baseline report.

Significance: Most PWE do not have short-term sick leave. Short-term sick leave was mainly seen in those with more difficult-to-treat or newly diagnosed epilepsy. Future studies should address if interventions like information about high-risk periods to patients and employers can improve psychosocial outcomes.

Plain language summary: Epilepsy can impact work ability, potentially leading to longer sick leaves or disability pensions, but shorter absences are less studied and are not included in the national registries in Sweden. This study explores shorter work absences in epilepsy patients attending neurology clinics in western Sweden. A quarter of patients reported missed workdays, but 68% had no sick leave recorded in national registries. Those with poorly controlled or newly diagnosed epilepsy were more likely to take sick leave, offering insights for patients, healthcare providers, and employers about managing epilepsy in the workplace.