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The rise in mental disorders in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries warrants close consideration, as mental disorders cause long-term sickness absences (LTSA) and increase the risk of disability pensioning (DP). This study compared how different mental disorders as a basis for LTSA pose risks for a subsequent DP.
Population-based prospective cohort study.
18–59-year-old Finns starting a new psychiatric LTSA in 2020. LTSA was measured through sickness allowance accumulated over 12 months. A 48-month follow-up started from the onset of LTSA. Six mental disorder types were identified.
The outcome variable was the time in months to a first paid DP spell. Using Cox proportional hazards regression stratified by sex, the DP risks of different mental disorders were examined, adjusting for comorbidity, length of LTSA and sociodemographic variables. The risks are presented as absolute risk differences and both unadjusted and covariate-adjusted HRs.
Compared with depression-related LTSA, psychoses (HRs 2.93 (95% CI 2.55 to 3.36) for women/2.99 (95% CI 2.67 to 3.36) for men) and other mood disorders (HRs 1.64 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.92)/1.49 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.78)) were associated with higher covariate-adjusted HRs, while anxiety disorders (HRs 0.65 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.72)/0.76 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.87)) and psychiatric sleep disorders (HRs 0.47 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.59)/0.58 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.78)) showed lower HRs. Higher age, lower education and socioeconomic status, comorbid mental disorders, chronic diseases and longer LTSA increased the risk.
Different mental disorders as basis for LTSA pose differing risks for permanent work disability. Among mental disorders, depression poses a relatively average risk for DP. Although anxiety and sleep disorders commonly cause LTSA, they are not associated with high DP risks. Psychotic and bipolar disorders are especially detrimental to work ability in today’s work life.
To describe and compare attitudes toward hand hygiene and the perceived effectiveness of prevention methods among nursing students and registered nurses at a university and its affiliated university hospital.
A descriptive cross-sectional comparative survey.
A total of 201 first- and final-semester nursing students and registered nurses completed the World Health Organisation's ‘Perceptions Survey for Health-Care Workers’. The survey examined perceptions on hand hygiene, patient safety and the usefulness of improvement measures. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics.
Nursing students consistently rated the importance of hand hygiene and related interventions higher than registered nurses. Students particularly emphasised the availability of hand disinfectants, ongoing education and supportive leadership. Both groups acknowledged the role of management support, regular feedback and organisational policies in reinforcing optimal hand hygiene.
Differences in attitudes between nursing students and registered nurses underscore the need for ongoing education, strong managerial involvement and supportive policies to sustain adherence. Strengthening these factors can help maintain positive perceptions formed during training and enhance patient safety in clinical practice.
Educational curricula and workplace strategies that prioritise hand hygiene may help lower healthcare-associated infections. Management-led feedback, continuous training and accessible hand hygiene resources offer additional support for safe patient care.
What problem did the study address? Low adherence to hand hygiene is a key driver of preventable infections. What were the main findings? Nursing students rated hand hygiene and improvement measures more highly than registered nurses, highlighting a need for strategies that sustain positive attitudes during the transition from education to clinical practice. Who will benefit? Nurse educators, clinical leaders and healthcare workers can use these findings to improve infection prevention across educational and practice settings.
We adhered to STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional research.
No patients or members of the public were involved in designing or conducting this study, which focused on perceptions of nursing students and registered nurses.
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