Men and women deal with diseases differently. Men often find it difficult to seek help. Perhaps one reason why women are more often on sick leave due to psychological stress.
Dresden (dpa / sn) – Because men live with an affinity for risk, they are more likely to be absent from work than women. This is shown by a study by the Barmer health insurance company presented in Dresden. According to this, men are twice as likely to be injured than women.
Women, on the other hand, have been absent most frequently in recent years because of mental illness. In addition, they are affected significantly more often by tumor formation than men, especially between the ages of 30 and 49 years.
Overall, however, the number of injuries to men and women has fallen in recent years. On the other hand, an opposite trend can be seen in mental illnesses: both men and women are reporting sick more and more often because of depression, among other things.
“Men tend to live less healthily than women,” explained Stefan Beier from the State Office for Men’s Work in Saxony. This can also be seen in the different life expectancies. “However, it is quite valid that it is due to the lifestyle, behavior and social context of men and women,” says the sociologist. Only one year of the difference can be explained biologically.
In general, men deal with diseases differently than women, said Beier. Men often perceive an illness as a nuisance. They also find it difficult to seek help. Many depressions in men often go undetected. “Research and diagnostics have to change,” the sociologist demanded.
The approximately 3.8 million employed persons aged between 15 and 64 who were insured with Barmer were surveyed. 108,600 of them lived in Saxony.
