Mental health-related worker absences increased by a third last year, research finds
One in 10 employees experiences mental health issues because of work.
The frequency of employees missing work because of mental health issues is surging. Absences increased by one-third from 2022 to 2033 and by 300% between 2017 and 2023.
This increase largely has been driven by female employees, according to research by ComPsych. In 2023 nearly 7 in 10 mental health-related leaves of absence were taken by women. Of these, millennial women took one-third, followed by Gen X women, who accounted for 30% of mental health-related leaves.
“Our data show that millennial and Gen X women are most likely to need a mental health-related leave of absence,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, founder, CEO and chair of ComPsych. “HR teams must invest in resources and programming that relates to issues commonly faced by these demographics — the pressures of managing teams, the stress of buying a home for the first time, acclimating back at work as a new parent or worrying about care for aging relatives.”
Younger workers also are at risk. Gen Z employees entered the workforce with different set of priorities and a fresh approach toward work, which lead to increased emphasis on personal wellbeing. Recent statistics from the Resolution Foundation show that individuals in this age group are more prone to taking time off work compared to previous generations. Furthermore, data indicate that more than one-third of individuals aged 18 to 24 reported experiencing symptoms of mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Related: Mental wellness in the 2024 workplace
A separate study by Atticus found that mental health issues such as stress and anxiety are now the most common workplace injuries. In addition:
- Forty-three percent of middle managers also report burnout. More than any other worker group.
- One in 10 employees experiences mental health issues because of work.
- More than half of workplace injuries are related to stress and anxiety.
Twelve billion working days are lost annually as a result of depression and anxiety, according to the World Health Organization. This loss of productivity costs the worldwide economy $1 trillion a year. “It’s clear that proactively investing in employee mental health is a key strategy for HR teams trying to mitigate the cost and impact of employee leaves of absence,” Chaifetz said.