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Scientists: Mental health issues of employees cost the EU economy 170 billion euros annually

by AI | 07.Oct 2024 | Europe in brief AI

According to researchers’ data, 60 percent of the world’s population is employed, and up to 15 percent of working-age adults have a mental illness.

Banknotes worth 100 euros – illustrative image. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa

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Klecany (near Prague) – According to scientists, the mental problems of employees cost the economy of the European Union 170 billion euros annually, which is roughly 4.3 trillion crowns in conversion. One of the main reasons is work stress and overload. Stress contributes to about half of all missed workdays. Research from European institutions shows that companies do not adequately address mental health, hence it is important to focus on prevention and support, the spokesperson of the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) Jan Červenka informed today in a press release to ČTK. Mental health in the workplace is the topic of this year’s World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10, i.e., Thursday.

According to researchers’ data, 60 percent of the world’s population is working and up to 15 percent of adults of working age have some mental illness. “Work stress is one of the key risk factors for mental health. In 2022, 27 percent of workers in the European Union suffered from stress, depression, and anxiety,” stated clinical psychologist and methodologist in the Public Mental Health research program of NUDZ Tomáš Jelínek. Mental health also impacts the economy because its deterioration results in lower productivity and absenteeism at work.

According to NUDZ director Petr Winkler, although there are examples of good practice and policies in this area, as well as fairly reliable evidence on the effectiveness and economic benefits of mental health support programs at work, employers in the Czech Republic and Europe usually do not have prevention programs. In some cases, when they do realize problems, such as because of a suicide at work, low work productivity, or a high degree of burnout in top management, they start resorting to shortcut solutions that do not help. “This often happens under the influence of the ‘wellbeing industry’, which offers or even imposes simple, but expensive and non-functional solutions. National or international certification of employers supporting mental health, which would clearly distinguish quality programs, would help,” added Winkler. (October 7)

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