Areas of Research

• Factors affecting retirement on a disability pension  
• Changes in starting disability pensions, readiness to apply for a disability pension and share of rejections   
• Follow-up of persons who have received a rehabilitation allowance, started vocational rehabilitation or received a rejection on their disability pension claim  

Presentation

My research focuses on questions relating to retirement on a disability pension. I am particularly interested in factors that contribute to retirement on a disability pension and the changes in disability retirement over time. My recent studies have dealt with, among other things, risk factors relating to retirement on a disability pension, changes in starting rates and rejections of disability pensions and the link between corporate-specific factors and retirement on a disability pension and participation in vocational rehabilitation.  As a rule, my research is based on extensive register data and conducted in cooperation with, among others, researchers from Kela, the National Public Health Institute and different universities. 

• ORCID
• Research Gate

Ongoing research projects

• Retirement on a disability pension or returning to work after a cash rehabilitation benefit
• Changes in work disability in the 2000s
• Development of perceived work ability in different population groups

Read more: Ongoing Research Projects.

Publications

• Perhoniemi, R. & Tuulio-Henriksson, A. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. (2020) Consumption of psychotropic drugs among disability pension applicants with mental disorders – comparing awarded and rejected applicants in Finland. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, julkaistu online 14.3.2020.
• Perhoniemi, R. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. (2020) Työkyvyttömyyseläkehakemusten ja hylkäysosuuksien maakunnalliset erot. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 85(1):62–72.
• Halonen, J. I. & Chandola, T. & Hyde, M. & Leinonen, T. & Westerlund, H. & Aalto, V. & Pentti, J. & Laaksonen, M. & Stenholm, S. & Mänty, M. & Vahtera, J. & Oksanen, T. & Kivimäki, M. & Virtanen, M. & Lallukka, T. (2020) Psychotropic medication before and after disability retirement by pre-retirement perceived work-related stress. European Journal of Public Health 30(1):158–163.
• Leinonen, T. & Chandola, T. & Laaksonen, M. & Martikainen, P. (2020) Socioeconomic differences in retirement timing and participation in post-retirement employment in a context of a flexible pension age. Aging & Society 40(2): 348–368.
• Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Liukko, J. & Polvinen, A. & Varis, J. & Kesälä, M. & Kuivalainen, S. (2019) Individual- and company-level predictors of receiving vocational rehabilitation: a multilevel study of Finnish private sector workplaces. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, online 18.12.2019.
• Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Salonen, J. (2019) Työttömyysturvan aktiivimallin vaikutus työkyvyttömyyseläkkeen hakemiseen ja työkyvyttömyyseläkkeelle siirtymiseen. Työpoliittinen aikakauskirja 62(4):17–27.
• Polvinen, A. & Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Palomäki, L.-M. & Kuivalainen, S. (2019) Explanations for economic difficulties among old-age pensioners previously on disability pension. European Journal of Public Health, julkaistu online 31.12.2019.
• Pirkola, S. & Nevalainen, J. & Laaksonen, M. & Fröjd, S. & Nurmela, K. & Näppilä, T. & Tuulio-Henriksson, A. & Autio, R. & Blomgren, J. (2019) The importance of clinical and labour market histories in psychiatric disability retirement. Analysis of the comprehensive Finnish national level RETIRE data. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, online 5.12.2019.
• Riekhoff, A.-J. & Järnefelt, N. & Laaksonen, M. (2019) Workforce composition and the risk of labor market exit among older workers in Finnish companies. Work, Aging and Retirement, online 1.12.2019.
• Laaksonen, M. & Nyman, H. (2019) Työttömien ja ikääntyneiden siirtyminen työkyvyttömyyseläkkeelle on vähentynyt selvästi. Lääkärilehti 74(33):1745–1748.
• Leinonen, T. & Viikari-Juntura, E. & Husgafvel-Pursiainen, K. & Juvonen-Posti, P. & Laaksonen, M. & Solovieva S. (2019) The effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation on work participation: a propensity score matched analysis using nationwide register data. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 45(6):651–660.
• Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Liukko, J. & Polvinen, A. & Varis, J. & Kesälä, M. & Kuivalainen, S. (2019) Company-level determinants of disability retirement: a multilevel study of Finnish private sector workplaces. European Journal of Public Health 29(6):1062–1068.
• Perhoniemi, R. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. (2019) Determinants of disability pension applications and awarded disability pensions in Finland, 2009 and 2014. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 48(2):172–180.
• Leinonen, T. & Solovieva, S. & Husgafvel-Pursiainen, K. & Laaksonen, M. & Viikari-Juntura, E. (2019) Do individual and work-related factors differentiate work participation trajectories before and after vocational rehabilitation? Plos One 14(2):e0212498.
• Perhoniemi, R. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. (2019) Sources of income following a rejected disability pension application: a sequence analysis study. Disability and Rehabilitation, online 12.5.2019.
• Laaksonen, M. & Nyman, H. (2018) Työkyvyttömyyseläkkeiden hylkäysosuuden kasvu 2007–2016. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 83(5-6):544–554.
• Merikukka, M. & Ristikari, T. & Tuulio-Henriksson, A. M. & Gissler, M. & Laaksonen, M. (2018) Childhood determinants for early psychiatric disability pension: A 10-year follow-up study of the 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, online 3.12.2018.
• Perhoniemi, R. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. (2018) Mitä hylkäävän työkyvyttömyyseläkepäätöksen jälkeen? Työttömyys-, sairauspäiväraha- ja kuntoutusrahaetuudet sekä uudet eläkepäätökset neljän vuoden seurannassa. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 2018;83(2):117–131.
• Salonen, L. & Blomgren, J. & Laaksonen, M. & Niemelä, M. (2018) Sickness absence as a predictor of disability retirement in different occupational classes: a register-based study of a working-age cohort in Finland in 2007–2014. BMJ Open 8(5):e020491.
• Polvinen, A. & Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Hietaniemi, M. & Kannisto, J. & Kuivalainen, S. (2018) Working while on a disability pension in Finland: Association of diagnosis and financial factors to employment. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 46(19 suppl):74–81.
• Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Järnefelt, N. & Kannisto, J. (2018) Educational differences in years of working life lost due to disability retirement. European Journal of Public Health 28(2):264–268.
• Laaksonen, M. & Gould, R. & Liukko, J. (2018) Labor market position after a rejection of a disability pension application: a register-based cohort study. Disability and Rehabilitation 40(25):3022–3029.
• Rantala, J. & Hietaniemi, M. & Nyman, H. & Laaksonen, M. & Kuivalainen, S. (eds.) (2017) Työkyvyttömyyseläkkeensaajien eläketurva ja toimeentulo 2000-luvulla. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 04/2017.
• Laaksonen, M. (2016) Koetun työkyvyn ja pitkäaikaissairastavuuden muutokset sosioekonomisten tekijöiden ja työolojen mukaan [Changes in self-reported work ability and long-term morbidity by socioeconomic factors and working conditions]. In Järnefelt, N. (ed.) Työolot ja työurat – tutkimuksia työurien vakaudesta ja eläkkeelle siirtymisestä [Working conditions and working lives – Research on the stability of working lives and retirement]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 08/2016.
• Laaksonen, M. & Rantala, J. & Järnefelt, N. & Kannisto, J. (2016) Työkyvyttömyyden vuoksi menetetty työura [Working lives reduced by disability pensions]. Eläketurvakeskuksen tutkimuksia 04/2016.
• Laaksonen, M. & Blomgren, J. & Gould, R. (2016) Sickness allowance trajectories preceding disability retirement: a register-based retrospective study. European Journal of Public Health 26(6):1050–1055.
• Polvinen, A. & Laaksonen, M. & Gould, R. & Lahelma, E. & Leinonen, T. & Martikainen P. (2016) Socioeconomic Differences in Cause-Specific Disability Retirement in Finland, 1988 to 2009. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 58(8):840–845.
• Leinonen, T. & Laaksonen, M. & Chandola, T. & Martikainen, P. (2016) Health as a predictor of early retirement before and after introduction of a flexible statutory pension age in Finland. Social Science & Medicine 158:149–157.
• Laaksonen, M. & Blomgren, J. & Tuulio-Henriksson, A. (2016) Sickness allowance histories among disability retirees due to mental disorders: A retrospective case–control study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 44(3):291–299.
• Polvinen, A. & Laaksonen, M. & Gould, R. & Lahelma, E. & Leinonen, T. & Martikainen, P. (2015) Socioeconomic inequalities in cause-specific mortality after disability retirement due to different diseases. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 43(2):159–168.
• Laaksonen, M. & Gould, R. (2015) Return to work after temporary disability pension in Finland. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 25(3):471–480.