Number of certificates for mental disorders up by as much as 25% in 2020

According to the report of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS)  for the previous year, the number of sickness certificates for mental and behavioral disorders increased by 25 percent y/y, and Poles did not go to work for a total of 27.7 million days (an increase by 37 percent compared to 2019). What causes such a bad mental condition of Polish employees and what consequences can it have?

"In 2016, we were absent from work for over 16 million days in total due to mental illnesses, so the result for 2020 is really worrying. Today, it is a greater health problem and is more common than, for example, degeneration of the spine, sinusitis, or sore throat," Mikołaj Zając, president of Conperio, the largest consulting company in Poland dealing with the issue of sickness absenteeism, noted.

In his opinion, ZUS data for the last year is a clear signal that the coronavirus epidemic is a huge psychological burden for many of us. In addition to caring for the health of oneself and those of their loved ones, there was an excessive amount of duties resulting from the absence of other sick co-workers, as well as further lock-outs and social isolation caused by remote work.

"Unfortunately, this disturbing trend of psychiatric layoffs is also used by healthy employees. Simulating depression is quite simple, and there is no shortage of specific tips on the Internet for employees on how to do it. The question remains open: what percentage of psychiatric layoffs in 2020 was unjustified," Mikołaj Zając said.

(WBJ)