Depression a huge cost to the economy

The Polish Social Insurance Office (ZUS) has calculated the cost of depression to the nation's economy. Due to absences, illness benefits and rehabilitation a sum of PLN 760 million is being paid out annually.

The National Health Fund (NFZ) spends less on depression, PLN 160 million. Dziennik Gazeta Prawna quoted Jerzy Gryglewicz,  of the Institute of Health Care Managment at Łazarski University, as saying that the costs of depression far outweigh the devoted public funds for treating it.

According to Maciej Niewada, a health sector expert, employers do notice the absence of their employees but do not attribute depression as the cause. Employers carry the burden of absence and rehabilitation costs as well as decreased effectiveness of the worker.

Analysis shows that 67.5 percent of depression sick leaves affected women. The most sick leaves occur in the Silesian voivodship. The same area has the largest amount of psychiatric clinics. "Depression is becoming an epidemic," said Marek Balicki, former minister of health and the director of Warsaw's psychiatric hospital.