Various causes - Daycare centers, schools, care: sick days due to mental health problems continue to rise
The number of days employees were unable to work due to mental illness and behavioral disorders rose to 130 million days last year. This was four million more than in 2021, according to an answer from the Federal Ministry of Labor to a minor question from the Left Party in the Bundestag. The economic costs of mental and behavioral disorders amounted to 17.2 billion euros. According to the Left Party, both the number of corresponding days of incapacity to work and the costs have reached an all-time high. The "Rheinische Post" had previously reported on this.
For women, the number of days of incapacity to work due to mental illness rose from 75 million to 77 million in 2022 compared to the previous year, while for men it increased from 51 million to 53 million, according to the government's response.
Mental health problems: Employees in nursing and elderly care, daycare centers or schools particularly affected
The causes are manifold, according to a response from the ministry in mid-November. In addition to factors affecting society as a whole, such as the consequences of current crises, "the causes are also suspected to lie in the increasing openness in dealing with mental illness ". Due to the crises and developments such as digitalization, decarbonization, demographic change and a shortage of skilled workers, the world of work is exposed to particular dynamics of change in many areas.
Left-wing politician Susanne Ferschl told the Rheinische Post that employees in areas such as nursing and care for the elderly, daycare centers and schools are particularly affected. "The federal government must finally take action, spend money and take concrete measures to break the vicious cycle of overwork and staff shortages."
According to the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, there were a total of 888.9 million days of incapacity to work in 2022. The economic production losses amounted to 118 billion euros.
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The Bundestag was informed by the Federal Ministry of Labor about the increase in sick days due to mental health issues, with women and employees in sectors like nursing, care, daycare, and schools being significantly affected. Despite taking four million more sick days than in 2021, women still had fewer sick days than men in 2022. This highlights the need for the federal government to address the issue of overwork and staff shortages in these sectors, as suggested by left-wing politician Susanne Ferschl.
Source: www.stern.de
