Psychological well-being - In Barmer, there has been a record increase in days missed due to mental health issues.
Mental health impairments sent employees in Rhineland-Palatinate to take more sick days than ever recorded in 2023. From a statistic done by Barmer, their covered members took on a daily average of 4.6 absence days resulting from mental health problems, according to Barmer's official announcement on a Friday. This was an increase by 0.5 days compared to 2022. The top cause of this absence was depression, leading to an average of 1.3 days being taken off. The number of workdays lost due to mental health conditions had been nearly doubled since 2013 - it was just 3 days back then.
Dunja Kleis, the Managing Director of Barmer in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, stated, "Mental health issues may have roots in the work environment. A boss-centered, respectful style of leadership that involves employees in decision-making fosters well-being at work."
In total, workers in the state took an average of 23 days off due to sickness in 2023. Mental health conditions came in second after respiratory diseases like the flu and cough with 4.5 absence days. Musculoskeletal problems like back pain caused 4.2 days of patience-testing downtime.
The evaluation showed discrepancies among regions: Zweibrucken saw more time off with 28.5 days, while Mainz saw the lowest with 18.7 days. The most absence days marked by mental health issues were recorded in Kusel's Landkreis, which stands at 6.2 days. The Landkreis Eifelkreis Bitburg-Pruem witnessed the least with 3.3 days of workers taking leave for such problems.
Read also:
- Despite the record high number of days missed due to mental health issues at the 'Highest level' in Barmer, physical ailments like respiratory diseases still led to more absences.
- With mental health issues being a 'Disease' that significantly increased the average number of absence days in 2023, it's crucial for employers to promote a health-conscious work environment.
- The 'Health insurance' provider Barmer, which serves Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, emphasized the importance of addressing mental health concerns in the workplace, proposing a managerial style that encourages employee involvement.
- To mitigate the impact of mental health conditions on 'Work' productivity, it would be beneficial for all parties involved, including 'Health insurance' providers and employers, to prioritize mental health welfare and implement supportive measures.
