Material and method:

the following bibliographic databases were searched up to May 2017: SciELO, PUBMED, as well as the psychosocial factors study appeared in low processes up to 365 days.

Conclusions:

The psychosocial factors are at the beginning of the sick leave as a preventive labor trigger of previous baseline situations. They are in the chronification process once the disability has occurred; they are in the patient’s perception of symptom persistence and poor response to treatment; they imply a perception of poor evolution of their incapacitation process, enhance the dysfunctional disabling and hinder the return to work. Unresolved and still returning to work will be cause of low work performance, being able to be determinant of “ineptitude overdue” and dismissed. For theses reasons it is important to early identify and prevent these psychosocial factors in order to reduce absenteeism due to disability.

The following measures will reduce the impact of psychological factors on temporary disability: acting on inadequate emotional responses through psychological care; taking an early attention to musculoskeletal and psychic processes; avoiding the waiting lists for the diagnostic tests and treatments; having a preventive consideration of return-to-work decisions; taking a partial incorporation to work (high partial fit note-certified sickness episodes) after incapacity; facilitating the work adaptation to the “overcoming attitude” of the returned worker; avoiding disputes reaching decisive agreements between medically discharged and unfit; providing flexible hours or reduced hours that favor family reconciliation; receiving social care benefits for the dependents or acutely ill family members’ attention; having a greater detection and protection of psychosocial factors at work and improving the organization, conditions and working climate promoting the satisfaction labor.