Mental illness is one of the most common reasons for taking sick leave. In the last ten years there has been a significant increase in NRW. But depression and anxiety can also have physical consequences.
Dusseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The absenteeism of employees due to mental illnesses has increased by 34 percent in North Rhine-Westphalia in the past ten years. This was announced by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit in Düsseldorf after an evaluation in its 2022 health report. Mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety are therefore the second most common reason for sick leave. Mental illnesses could also have physical consequences, emphasized the cash register.
For the study, the data of around 430,000 employed insured persons were examined. In addition, the Forsa Institute surveyed more than 1,000 employees in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to this, almost a fifth of those surveyed live with a psychological risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Extrapolated to the working population in NRW, one million people have an increased risk of heart attack due to psychological factors such as depression, anxiety or work stress, said the third largest health insurance company in Germany.
The health report shows that the role of stress and mental illness as a risk for heart attacks is often underestimated, explained Klaus Overdiek, head of DAK-Gesundheit in NRW. “There is a striking interaction between the psyche and the heart.”
