Mental Well-Being and Capacity to Work as Determinants of Sustained Work Participation: A Swedish Survey and Registry Study

OBJECTIVE: To assess associations between self-perceived mental well-being, work capacity, and sustained work participation (SWP) in a cohort of the Swedish working population. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data based on 7618 employees were linked to national registers to assess SWP over 1 year. Binary logistic regression models, including interaction terms, were used to examine the main and moderation effects. RESULTS: In the adjusted regression model, the Capacity to Work Index (C2WI) was independently and significantly associated with SWP. For each 1-point increase in C2WI, the odds of SWP decreased by 6% in women and 8% in men. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that self-perceived capacity to work is an important determinant of SWP. Although mental well-being is important from a public health perspective, efforts to improve cognitive and mental work capacity are vital for SWP.