Increased Incident Count in Merzig-Wadern Compared to Other Adjacent Counties
Mental health disorders, with depression leading the pack, have been identified as the foremost causes of illness in the Merzig-Wadern district in 2022, according to an analysis by BARMER. The data reveals that employees in the district took an average of 7.1% of their working days off due to sickness, aligning with the Saarland average.
Based on anonymized data from sickness leave reports of their insured in Saarland, BARMER reports that on an average day in the Merzig-Wadern district, approximately 71 out of every 1,000 workers were absent due to illness. This statistic is corroborated by Olaf Marquardt, the regional manager of BARMER in Merzig.
Employees in the Merzig-Wadern district missed an average of 25.9 days due to illness, with each employee taking sick leave an average of 1.8 times. Notably, mental health disorders, particularly depression, accounted for a significant proportion of these absences, as Marquardt underscores.
Psychiatric illnesses caused an average of 5.1 sick days per employee, closely followed by musculoskeletal issues and respiratory diseases, both accounting for 4.5 sick days each, and injuries such as sprains, with an average of 2.6 days.
Marquardt references the atypical flu and cold season in spring 2021 and suspects that the normalization of human contacts following the coronavirus pandemic may have contributed to the rise in respiratory infections. He, however, emphasizes that demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers make the management of mental health in companies increasingly important, as poor team cohesion can exacerbate feelings of depression.
Marquardt highlights the critical role of occupational health management in the prevention of mental illnesses and calls for more vigorous engagement with the topic in companies. Employers are encouraged to incorporate mental health initiatives into their strategies to improve workplace wellbeing and reduce the burden of mental illness on the workforce.
Science shows that mental health disorders, particularly depression, are major contributors to sickness in the Merzig-Wadern district as demonstrated by BARMER's analysis. To improve employee health-and-wellness, it is crucial for companies to focus on mental health, given its impact on absenteeism and the increasing importance of this issue due to demographic changes and the shortage of skilled workers.
