The technical and vocational education and training, (TVET) sector has shown a rapid growth since 1998 in South Africa. This sector aimed to provide education and training to empower the youth of South Africa. Policies were established and put in place to manage students’ attendance, however, absenteeism seemed to be on the rise. This study aimed to explore factors influencing students’ absenteeism and recommend strategies to address the factors influencing students’ absenteeism at a TVET College in Nelson Mandela Bay District. In an attempt to address the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach was employed and a case study method was used. Data were collected by means of focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study revealed that student absenteeism was caused by students’ factors, college-related factors and socio-economic factors. This study revealed that National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was the major contributing factor in students’ absenteeism due to delayed payments. With respect to the negative impacts of students’ absenteeism, the findings of the study further revealed that lecturers are experiencing hardships in completing the syllabi on schedule time. The result revealed that student attendance policy was ineffective to manage student attendance. This study recommended that the TVET college should exercise discipline to students and establish a disciplinary committee. This will ensure that the students adhere to the attendance policy and improve students’ attendance. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Student non-attendance is a main challenge in TVET Colleges, especially in teaching and learning and the academic functioning of students. Various studies on student absenteeism and absenteeism in schools were reviewed in the literature. However, not much has been written about the challenges in TVET colleges. The focus of this research is on the three TVET College campuses in the Bojanala District in the North West Province. The qualitative method was used. Semi-structured interviews and non-participative observation were employed to gather information and the views of the participants about student absenteeism. The researcher selected the participants purposefully, as they have experienced the problem of absenteeism. Students and lecturers were selected as participants in the study. Lecturers acknowledged that the poor background of students was a contributing factor to poor attendance. The study concludes with recommendations on how to reduce the challenge of student non-attendance. The lack of transport money is a socioeconomic factor that contributes to student absenteeism in TVET colleges. It is recommended that NSFAS pays the transport money directly to the service provider. When students apply for a NSFAS bursary, they should provide proof of the transport that they use to help the bursary office in terms of transport arrangements. It is further recommended that all campuses should have student accommodation, and that bursary money should be paid directly to the accommodation services. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Submitted in fulfilllment of the requirements for the Masters in Nursing degree, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Introduction Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most commonly reported work-related illnesses impacting on the quality of life of nurses. Absenteeism, work restriction, loss of income and disability are related outcomes. Nurses are at a higher risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) compared to other healthcare professionals because of the nature of their duties. Problem statement The relationship between work-related musculoskeletal disorders, absenteeism and visits to the staff clinic by nurses has not been established in South Africa. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of WMSD in nurses and its relationship to absenteeism and visits to the staff clinic by nurses in a selected eThekwini District hospital. Research method A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive survey was conducted in two stages namely the prospective cross-sectional survey of nurses and the retrospective review of records. A random sample of 231 nurses was selected, proportionally, from all nursing ranks and invited to fill in the self-administered musculoskeletal questionnaire. Results The lifetime prevalence of WMSD in nurses in this study was 77% with the twelve months prevalence of 67% and the seven days prevalence of 43%. The prevalence of low back pain was higher (21% for twelve months and 47% for seven days) than that of other body regions with a higher tendency (65%) of WMSD affecting more than two body regions. Although the prevalence and patterns of WMSD was almost the same across all nursing ranks, nurses working in the Out Patients Department reported the highest prevalence (22%). There was no significant relationship between age, gender and smoking; however, a strong correlation between WMSD and participation in physical exercise, work task and workload was noted. No relationship could be established between WMSD and staff visits to the staff clinic as well as amount of sick leave taken. Conclusion This study showed that WMSD is high in the selected hospital. Nurses working in the Outpatients department reported the most WMSD; body parts affected was not related to age, gender, nurse rank or unit in which the nurse worked. There is a problem of under- reporting of WMSD. Nurses working in this hospital have an option of attending their private health service providers even following a WMSD. In these cases the staff clinic is unable to keep accurate statistics of WMSD, conduct reviews and proper management of the WMSD.

L'absentéisme parmi le personnel soignant prend de plus en plus d'ampleur dans les institutions sanitaires publiques au Cameroun. Il représente à l'heure actuelle l'une des principales causes de l'effondrement du système de soins de santé. Ce phénomène se doit d'être réduit à des proportions raisonnables; cependant, les informations nationales sur les niveaux d’absentéisme parmi ce personnel, les coûts associés, ainsi que sur les facteurs qui le déterminent restent encore très faibles. Cette recherche avait pour objectifs de mesurer le niveau d’absentéisme parmi les prestataires de soins de santé des hôpitaux publics du Cameroun ; de déterminer l’influence des caractéristiques personnelles et des facteurs occupationnels sur le comportement d’absence parmi ces professionnels ; et d’évaluer les répercussions économiques de l’absentéisme en termes de coûts associés à la perte de productivité pour les employeurs. Elle portait sur du personnel soignant, notamment les médecins, les infirmiers et les aides-soignants exerçant dans les formations sanitaires publiques (hôpitaux) du Cameroun au mois d’octobre 2008. L’absentéisme était mesuré par le nombre d’heures et d’épisodes (fréquence) d’absences et concernait les retards et les absences de trois jours consécutifs et moins. Les facteurs personnels et occupationnels étudiés étaient l’âge, le sexe, le statut civil, les responsabilités familiales (nombre d’enfants), le niveau d’éducation, l’unité de soins, le type d’emploi, le régime d’emploi, l’horaire de travail, le temps supplémentaire, l’ancienneté dans l’hôpital, la taille de l’hôpital et le revenu de l’employé. Les données ont été recueillies dans 15 formations sanitaires publiques réparties dans six régions du Cameroun, sur la période allant du 1er au 31 octobre 2008, à partir des documents officiels émanant du gouvernement et des hôpitaux. Les analyses statistiques comportaient des analyses descriptives, des analyses bivariées et des analyses multivariées. Le taux de participation moyen des employés a été de 50,7%. Sur les 516 personnes qui composaient l’échantillon, 93,4% avaient eu au moins une absence au travail au mois d’octobre 2008. Le taux d’absentéisme global était de 7,2%, et variait entre 2% et 37% dans les hôpitaux. Chaque participant avait en moyenne 12 épisodes d’absences pendant cette période et la durée moyenne d’absences par participant était d’environ 13 heures et 21 minutes. La durée de l’horaire de travail, le fait de travailler dans un hôpital régional, de travailler selon un horaire fixe, d’être un personnel PPTE et de ne pas effectuer du temps supplémentaire, sont associés significativement à une plus grande fréquence des absences. La durée de l’horaire de travail, le fait d’être médecin, de travailler dans un service d’accueil et des urgences, de travailler selon un horaire fixe et d’être une femme, ont un lien significativement positif avec la durée des absences. Cet absentéisme a absorbé environ 8% de la masse salariale d’octobre 2008. On estime à environ 4 088 568 dollars US courants (2008), les dépenses consacrées par le secteur public de la santé du Cameroun à cet absentéisme en 2008, ce qui représentait approximativement 2,1% des dépenses publiques de santé. La réduction de l’absentéisme de courte durée parmi les professionnels de la santé du secteur public au Cameroun passe par l’amélioration du style de gestion des hôpitaux et l’approfondissement des recherches sur le comportement d’absence parmi ces professionnels. / Absenteeism among health professionals is increasingly on the rise in public health institutions in Cameroon. Currently, it represents one of the main causes responsible for the decline of the health care system. Despite the seriousness of the situation, information on the level of absenteeism among health professionals at the national level, the cost burden as well as its determinants is lacking. The aims of the study were: (1) to estimate the levels of absenteeism among healthcare providers in public health hospitals in Cameroon; (2) to determine the influence of personal characteristics and occupational factors on absence behavior among health professionals; and (3) to assess the economic consequences of absenteeism in terms of costs associated with loss of productivity sustained by the employers. The study was conducted on health care professionals comprising physicians, nurses and health assistants serving in public health facilities in Cameroon during the month of October, 2008. Absenteeism was measured by the number of hours and the number of episodes (frequency) of absences recorded by employees; and was related to delays and absences of three consecutive days and less. The personal and occupational factors examined were age, gender, marital status, family responsibilities (number of children), educational level, care unit, employment type, employment status, work schedule, overtime, seniority, hospital size, and salary. Data were collected from 15 public health facilities spread across six regions of Cameroon from October 1 to October 31, 2008. The data were abstracted from official government and hospital documents. The statistical analyses encompassed descriptive, bivariate as well as multivariate analyses. The participation rate of employees was 50.7%. Of the 516 individuals in the study sample, 93.4% had registered at least one episode of absence from work during the study period. The overall rate of absenteeism was 7.2% and varied between 2-37% across the hospitals. Each study participant had an average of 12 episodes of absence during the study period, and the average duration of absence per participant was 13 hours and 21 minutes. The duration of work schedule, working in a regional hospital, working on a fixed schedule, being a HIPC staff and lack of supplementary work hours, are significantly and positively associated with frequency of absences. The duration of work schedule, being a physician, working in emergency, working on a fixed schedule and being a woman, are significantly and positively associated with duration of absence from work. Absenteeism during the study period consumed about 8% of the total pay-check for the month of October 2008. It is estimated that absenteeism of short duration among healthcare providers in the year 2008 cost the public heath sector the equivalent of 4,088,568 US dollars, which represented about 2.1% of the public expenditures on health for the same year. The reduction of absenteeism of short duration among health professionals of the public sector in Cameroon depends on enhancement of hospital management style, and more refined research on absence behaviour among healthcare professionals.

La première partie de la thèse traite d’inférence combinatoire en Analyse Géométrique des Données (AGD). Nous proposons des tests multidimensionnels sans hypothèse sur le processus d’obtention des données ou les distributions. Nous nous intéressons ici aux problèmes de typicalité (comparaison d’un point moyen à un point de référence ou d’un groupe d’observations à une population de référence) et d’homogénéité (comparaison de plusieurs groupes). Nous utilisons des procédures combinatoires pour construire un ensemble de référence par rapport auquel nous situons les données. Les statistiques de test choisies mènent à des prolongements originaux : interprétation géométrique du seuil observé et construction d’une zone de compatibilité.La seconde partie présente l’étude de l’absentéisme dans les Industries Electriques et Gazières de 1995 à 2011 (avec construction d’une cohorte épidémiologique). Des méthodes d’AGD sont utilisées afin d’identifier des pathologies émergentes et des groupes d’agents sensibles. / The first part of this PhD thesis deals with combinatorial inference methods forGeometric Data Analysis (GDA). We propose multidimensional tests that make no assumption on the process of generating data or distributions. We focus particularly on problems of typicality (comparison of a mean point to a reference point or comparison of a group of observations to a reference population) and on problems of homogeneity (comparison of several groups). These methods consist in using combinatorial procedures to build a reference set with respect to which we situate the data. The chosen test statistics lead to original extensions: geometric interpretation of the observed level and construction of a compatibilityzone.The second part of this thesis presents the study of absenteeism in the French Electricity and Gas Industries from 1995 to 2011 (with construction of an epidemiological cohort). GDA methods are used to identify emerging diseases and sensitive groups of agents.

Objectives. The aims of this survey were (1) to assess the quality of asthma treatment and control in Latin America, (2) to determine how closely asthma management guidelines are being followed, and (3) to assess perception, knowledge and attitudes related to asthma in Latin America. Methods. We surveyed a household sample of 2 184 adults or parents of children with asthma in 2003 in 11 countries in Latin America. Respondents were asked about healthcare utilization, symptom severity, activity limitations and medication use. Results. Daytime asthma symptoms were reported by 56% of the respondents, and 51 % reported being awakened by their asthma at night. More than half of those surveyed had been hospitalized, attended a hospital emergency service or made unscheduled emergency visits to other healthcare facilities for asthma during the previous year. Patient perception of asthma control did not match symptom severity, even in patients with severe persistent asthma, 44.7% of whom regarded their disease as being well or completely controlled. Only 2.4% (2.3% adults and 2.6% children) met all criteria for asthma control. Although 37% reported treatment with prescription medications, only 6% were using inhaled corticosteroids. Most adults (79%) and children (68%) in this survey reported that asthma symptoms limited their activities. Absence from school and work was reported by 58% of the children and 31% of adults, respectively. Conclusions. Asthma control in Latin America falls short of goals in international guidelines, and in many aspects asthma care and control in Latin America suffer from the same shortcomings as in other areas of the world. / Revisión por pares

Orientador: Maria José da Silva Fernandes / Resumo: O levantamento de dados dessa pesquisa demonstra que a rede paulista de ensino, de modo geral, possui dificuldades em manter seus docentes efetivos nas escolas, visto que em média, a cada dia, oito professores concursados, que lecionam nos anos finais do Ensino Básico e do Ensino Médio, desistem do cargo. Tais dados corroboram com um diagnóstico alarmante sobre o processo de desistência docente na década de 1990 na mesma rede, elaborado por Flavinês Rebolo Lapo. Considerando que há um déficit de professores na rede, o estudo sobre a persistência desse fenômeno da exoneração é relevante para a melhor compreensão sobre as condições de trabalho dos docentes visto que a não permanência dos professores nas escolas tem sido constatada por diversos autores, a exemplo de Manuel Esteve e Dalila Andrade Oliveira, como um problema para o bom desempenho de programas e políticas educacionais. Este estudo tem como principal objetivo compreender as causas que levam os docentes concursados das séries finais do Ensino Básico e do Ensino Médio, a exonerarem o cargo na rede estadual de ensino regular de São Paulo, com enfoque na análise de aspectos das condições do trabalho que podem estar relacionados com a exoneração. A pesquisa considerou, além do contexto histórico, conceitos relacionados à condição de trabalho, exoneração e o percurso desses sujeitos. Trata-se de pesquisa empírica que avaliou os índices da Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo sobre a flutuação do contingente de se... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Recent research has shown the difficulties faced by the official São Paulo state system of education in keeping its effective teachers at schools. There are about eight teachers, from elementary to high school, that resign from their positions every day. These data corroborate an alarming diagnosis about the process of teachers' dropout in the same network during the 1990s. Considering that there is a deficit of teachers in the official educational system of São Paulo, the persistence of this resignation phenomenon this is a relevant research to the for better understanding about teachers' working conditions. Also, the teachers' lack of job permanence has been verified as a problem for the good performance of educational programs and policies. The main objective of this study is to understand the causes that lead high school professors teachers to resign their positions in the São Paulo state's system of education and to analyze aspects of the work conditions in that system that can be related with teachers' resignations. This research considered, in addition to the historical context, concepts related to work conditions, resignations and teacher absenteeism. Information analysis was obtained through interviews that gave voice to four high school teachers who resigned their positions. This empirical research considered the contingent of employees and resignations data availble at the São Paulo state Education Department. The main hypothesis about the resignations from the pos... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

O estudo das faltas e licenças médicas pode tornar-se referencial privilegiado para observar-se a conjuntura na qual se edificam as diretrizes e os produtos que se constituirão nas ações educativas para jovens e crianças que dependem da Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo. Para medir o absenteísmo no trabalho relacionado a motivos de saúde optou-se em descrever a magnitude média das taxas de faltas e de licenças médicas do magistério e do pessoal de apoio, segundo as 91 diretorias de ensino de todo o Estado de São Paulo, entre maio de 2008 e julho de 2009 e comparar as proporções de faltas e de licenças entre as funções do magistério e de apoio, segundo coordenadorias de ensino. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico que utilizou em sua construção, dados secundários, coletados a partir de registros oficiais. Verificou-se que a região periférica da metrópole paulistana foi a que apresentou um número superior de ausências, em detrimento do interior e da capital, que tiveram registradas médias aproximadas. As licenças médicas, contudo, têm, principalmente no interior, significativa elevação. Este trabalho pôde registrar que aproximadamente 20 por cento da força de trabalho contratada esteve ausente durante o período letivo observado, sendo o tempo fator importante para a predição do afastamento das pessoas do trabalho. Identifica-se que, em janeiro, quase não há afastamentos por motivo de saúde e que ocorre aumento progressivo ao longo do semestre estudado. Em junho/julho, inverte-se essa tendência, que se modifica novamente em agosto, o que sugere um padrão de repetição (ciclo). Nítida é a elevação de ausências por motivo de saúde no período definido como letivo / The study of absences and sick leave can become privileged reference point for observing the situation in which the guidelines are built and the products that will serve on the educational activities for adolescents and children who depend on the Bureau of Education of the State of São Paulo. Measuring absenteeism in work related to medical reasons was decided to describe the magnitude of the average rates of absenteeism and medical leave from teaching and support staff, according to the 91 boards of education throughout the State of São Paulo between May 2008 and July 2009 and compare the proportion of absences and licenses among the functions of teaching and support, according to coordinators of education. This is one ecological study that used in its construction, the secondary data collected from official records. It was found that the peripheral region of the metropolis was the one with a higher number of absences at the expense of the interior and the capital, who had recorded approximate average. Sick leave, however, have mainly within, a significant increase. This work could report that approximately 20 per cent of the workforce employed was absent during the school year observed, the time factor is important for predicting the removal of people from work. We found that in January, there was almost no leaves due to health reasons and that it had increased progressively throughout the semester studied. In June / July, that trend reversed itself, which was modified again in August, which suggested a pattern of repetition (cycle). Sharp was the elevation of absences due to health reasons in the period defined as academic

O absenteísmo, ou seja, a falha no atendimento (FA) ou não atendimento (NA) dos usuários nos serviços de saúde do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) é um assunto de crescente interesse devido ao grande número de pessoas aguardando atendimento e ao contexto econômico atual. A problemática acarreta prejuízos a todos envolvidos, pois prolonga a conclusão diagnóstica, prejudica o tratamento, diminui a produtividade do prestador, causa aumento de tempo na espera por atendimento dos demais usuários e desperdício de recursos públicos. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi compreender os motivos do absenteísmo nos serviços de saúde e as estratégias praticadas para a redução de falhas no atendimento. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, com desenho de estudo de caso descritivo-exploratório, baseado em entrevistas semi-estruturadas e grupo focal. A coleta de dados visou a identificar diferentes opiniões e explicações para o absenteísmo, as estratégias e perspectivas utilizadas pelas equipes de saúde da AME e das secretarias de saúde de quatro municípios. Foram selecionados quatro casos traçadores para evidenciar experiências típicas, ou seja, dois municípios que pudessem demonstrar uma dinâmica mais exitosa no controle do absenteísmo e outros dois representantes de experiências menos exitosas. A análise permitiu representar o perfil dos serviços locais \"em situação\", discutindo estratégias, processos de trabalho, facilidades e dificuldades. Foi possível evidenciar as diferentes características e fluxos nos quatro municípios estudados, bem como a pequena ou inexistente discussão sobre o absenteísmo. Durante as entrevistas, nenhum dos entrevistados sabia ao certo a taxa de falha de atendimento e demonstraram-se surpresos quando informados de que são em média 560 consultas especializadas perdidas por mês. Todos concordaram que devem ser adotadas estratégias de prevenção ao absenteísmo, e, principalmente, esses dados devem ser divulgados à população. Concordaram ainda que outros setores podem e devem ser copartícipes na efetivação de uma rede local de atenção à saúde, no registro do fluxo dos usuários, utilizando diferentes espaços para a promoção da frequência ao atendimento e educação em saúde. Foram compartilhadas várias estratégias e propostas de mudança para reorganização municipal e alteração nos fluxos de trabalho, bem como comunicação entre os serviços e os usuários. Este estudo proporcionou a oportunidade de discussão entre os envolvidos no processo de acesso aos serviços de saúde do AME Araçatuba. Permitiu a reflexão sobre responsabilidades e papéis dos atores no processo. O folder produzido a partir desta pesquisa e apoiado pela revisão bibliográfica será utilizado na capacitação de profissionais, com a finalidade de subsidiar o planejamento em saúde e melhorar a assistência proposta ao usuário do SUS. / Absenteeism, that is, the non-attendance of users in health services of Unified Health System is a subject of growing interest due to large number of people waiting for care and current economic context. The problem entails damages to all involved, since it prolongs the diagnostic conclusion, impairs the treatment, decreases the provider\'s productivity, causes an increase in waiting time for other users\' attention, and wastage of public resources. Therefore, the aim in this study was to understand the reasons for absenteeism in health services and the strategies used to reduce service failures. It is qualitative research, in the design of the case study, descriptive-exploratory based on interstructure interviews and focal group. The interview is a technique of collecting data through group interactions, mediated by a facilitator, to encourage the formation of opinions on the absenteeism, strategies and perspectives of the health teams. Four tracer cases were selected to show typical experiences, that is, two municipalities that could demonstrate the most successful dynamics in control of absenteeism and two other less successful representatives of the same. The analysis allowed to represent the profile of local services \"in situation\", discussing strategies, work processes, facilities, and difficulties. It was possible to show the different characteristics and flows between the four municipalities studied and how little or no discussion about absenteeism is available. During the interview, none of municipalities interviewed knew for certain that the rate of service failure was surprising when informed that they are on average 560 specialized consultations lost per month. All agreed that strategies should be taken, and especially, these data should be made public. They also agree that other sectors can and should be partners in the implementation of the local health care network, in execution of flow users, use of other spaces for awareness, and education in health. Several strategies and proposals for change have been shared for municipal reorganization and changes in workflows and communication between services and users. This study provided the opportunity for discussion among those involved in the process of access to the health services of Ambulatory Care of Araçatuba. It allowed for reflection on the responsibilities and roles of actors in the process. The folder produced from this research and supported by bibliographic review will be used to train professionals, with the purpose of subsidizing health planning and improving the proposed assistance to Unified Health System users.

Introdução - As ausências ao trabalho por doença são usadas como indicador da saúde dos trabalhadores e consideradas um significante problema de Saúde Pública. Diversos fatores são descritos como associados ao absenteísmo-doença, independentemente do agravo. A Previdência Social do Brasil regulamenta a concessão de benefício para trabalhadores que comprovarem incapacidade para o trabalho acima de quinze dias por adoecimento. Em 2010, transtornos mentais e comportamentais foram a terceira principal causa de concessão de auxílio-doença por incapacidade laborativa. Objetivo - Avaliar os fatores associados às longas ausências ao trabalho por transtornos mentais e comportamentais. Materiais e Método - Estudo de caso-controle composto por 385 participantes. Os casos foram requerentes de benefício previdenciário por transtorno mental incapacitante na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram realizadas entrevistas para preenchimento de questionários sociodemográfico e de hábitos/estilo de vida, ocupacional inclusive percepção de fatores psicossociais no trabalho, avaliação de condição de saúde e dados do laudo médico-pericial da Previdência Social. Foi realizada regressão logística múltipla hierarquizada para a avaliação da associação das variáveis independentes ao desfecho. Resultados - Os fatores associados foram: sexo feminino, alta escolaridade, cor da pele autorreferida como branca, alto grau de consumo de fumo e de ingesta de álcool, vínculo com empresa estatal, exposição à violência no trabalho, baixo apoio social, elevado comprometimento com o trabalho, atendimento médico por mais de dois diagnósticos no último ano. Na modelagem com interação entre as dimensões dos modelos de estresse ocupacional, a exposição à alta exigência com baixo apoio social, o desequilíbrio esforço-recompensa com elevado comprometimento e a interação entre essas quatro dimensões estão associadas ao desfecho de forma significativa. Considerações Finais - Aspectos sociodemográficos, hábitos e estilo de vida, característica e condição de trabalho, além do status de saúde, estão associados ao longo afastamento do trabalho por transtorno mental e comportamental. A exposição ocupacional a fatores desfavoráveis de natureza psicossocial é importante contribuidora no desfecho. Vê-se a necessidade de atenção para tais situações no intuito de ampliar as perspectivas de antecipação ao risco e implantação de ações intervencionistas que minimizem impactos negativos na saúde dos trabalhadores / Introduction - The absences from work due to illness are used as an indicator of the health of workers and are considered a significant public health problem. Several factors are described as associated with absenteeism and illness, regardless of condition. Brazilian Social Security regulates the payment of benefits to workers who prove work-disability longer than fifteen days due to illness. In 2010, mental and behavioral disorders were the third leading cause for granting disability benefits. Objective - To assess the factors associated with long-term sickness absences from work due to mental and behavioral disorders. Methods - A case-control study comprising 385 participants applicants for social security benefits due mental sickness was performed in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Interviews were conducted and participants answered questionnaires about sociodemographic and habits/lifestyle, occupational characteristics (including perceptions of psychosocial factors at work), assessment of health status. Social Security medical expert data report were analyzed. It was performed hierarchical logistic regression to assess variables associated with the outcome. Results - The associated factors were: sex (female), college education, self-reported skin color as white, high consumption of tobacco and alcohol intake, working for a public company, exposure to violence at work, low social support, high overcommitment and more than two medical conditions diagnoses in the past year. There was observed interaction among the dimensions of occupational stress theorical models, exposure to high strain and low social support, effort-reward imbalance with high overcommitment. The interaction among those four dimensions were statistical significant to the outcome. Conclusions - Demographic aspects, habits and lifestyle, work features and condition of employment, and health status are associated with long-term sickness absence due mental and behavioral disorders. Occupational exposure to adverse psychosocial factors is an important contributor to the outcome. It´s necessary attention to negative psychosocial factor at work in order to detect risk factors and promote interventions to minimize negative impacts on workers health