Sharp rise in workers off with mental health issues
THE number of people off work for long periods of time because of mental health problems is soaring in Greater Manchester.
Figures from the NHS show that GPs in the area issued ‘fit notes’ for a total of 100,023 episodes of a ‘mental and behavioural disorder’ during 2019, the equivalent of one every five minutes.
These are issued by a GP after a person has already been off work for seven days, and generally certify that the person is not able to work, or only able to work with certain conditions.
The number of fit notes handed out for mental health problems in 2019 is up from 92,096 the year before, and is a 25 per cent increase from 79,954 in 2015, when the figures begin.
Laura Peters, head of advice and information services at Rethink Mental Illness, said: “While an increase in people taking time away from work for mental health problems may indicate that more people are struggling with their mental health, it’s not the only explanation behind this increase.
“It may be that people feel more comfortable talking about their mental health and that there’s less stigma around seeking support, which is a positive thing.
“Work-related stress or anxiety is one reason why people may take time away from their mental health, but it’s not the only factor in our mental health. “In lockdown, people may be experiencing additional stress due to the change in routine, childcare arrangements or financial pressures, and sadly people will be experiencing bereavement in these really unique circumstances too.”
The Mental Health Foundation also say that they often see reports of tummy aches and back pain reduce when companies put in place mental health programmes that make it more acceptable to be open.
However, others warn that attitudes towards mental health are still a problem. Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind, said: “Stigma is still a big problem in the workplace, with some employees feeling unable to talk about issues such as stress, anxiety or depression. So it is vital employers take mental health seriously, the same way they would if a member of their staff had a physical health problem.”
Across England, doctors wrote fit notes for a total of 9.9 million episodes of illness in 2019, up from 9.4m in 2018. Mental and behavioural disorders were the most common type of diagnosis requiring a fit note, with more than a million issued last year.