The psychiatric disorders are the most frequent cause of the long term sick leave not only in Europe but also in Tunisia. Four diseases have been fixed by the Tunisian national register since 1959, give the right to the public employees institution of this type of vacation. These disease are: tuberculosis, cancer, paralysis and mental diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the evolutionary profile of these patients.

The study was a comparison of two retrospective studies led in the department of emergency and external consultation of the Razi hospital. The first study had concerned 300 patients examined within the framework of a medical supervision during year 2001. The second study had concerned 430 patients having consulted for the first time in our department during the year 2012 and benefited from a long term sick leave.

Forty was the age the most represented with a net feminine ascendancy in both studies. More than 60% of the patients were married in both study but a decrease of the number of single men has been reported in2012. The middle manager was the most represented professional category: the transport had been the most represented body employer in 2012. Depression was the most represented diagnosis.

The economical impact of the long term sick leave can be important but never considered. The low social support, the dissatisfaction, the workload and the indistinctness of the professional task are at the same time inductive but also aggravating factors.