Common mental illnesses among commuters

Commuters are more often on sick leave due to mental illness
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06/26/2012

Commuters and professionals who frequently change jobs or move to another city due to a new job are more likely to be affected by mental illness, according to the health report of the Techniker Krankenkasse. Overall, a clear increase in diagnoses of mental suffering can be observed.

Occupational commuting, frequent job changes and relocations due to a new job seem to be risk factors for mental illness such as depression or burnout. This was determined by the current Health Report 2011 of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). In addition, continue to see a negative trend in mental illness, as the health insurance today explained. The number of absences in the workplace has again increased significantly in 2011 compared to the previous year due to mental illness. The much-evoked „Mobility and flexibility gets on people's nerves, "said a spokeswoman at the presentation of the evaluation of patient data.

Frequent job changes burden the psyche
As a result, the rate of the group of people who moved to another region for professional reasons between 2009 and 2011 in 2011 was almost twice as high as in the previous years, with statistical 4.01 sick days. Workers who did not have to move away and worked in their home country were short of 2.11 days at work. Employees who worked close to home were ill for an average of 1.92 days due to mental illness. By contrast, commuters were ill about 0.26 days longer (2.18 days) than others.

Those who change employers more often also show a higher risk of mental illness. From three job changes between 2009 and 2011, the risk of illness increased to about twice as the statistical analyzes of TC showed.

Increase in mental illness
The health insurance company describes the further increase in absenteeism at work due to mental disorders as worrying. The medical diagnoses were as in previous years in 2011 increased. Between 2010 and 2011, the proportion of employees increased by about 6.3 percent. This corresponds to 0.12 days more than in the same period of the previous year. There is a trend that has manifested for about five years. Since 2006, the proportion of mental illness absences has risen by a whopping 61 percent.

Mental stress more often in Berlin and Hamburg
The experts also found regional differences. Particularly affected are the negative trend in the working population in large cities such as Hamburg or Berlin. Evaluations of patient data have shown that service professionals, such as call centers, nursing or educational professions, are at increased risk of mental distress. Women had to be on sick leave more often than men. According to the fund, it is because women „also work more frequently in service occupations than men“.

At the beginning of June this year, the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists had noted an increase in sick leave due to mental illness. More and more people are suffering from the burnout syndrome, as it was called. The absences have increased according to the chamber since 2004 by about 1400 percent. In many cases, people complain about rising workloads, overtime, unsafe working conditions and bullying.

Of the employees and the policy, the TK called for measures to create healthier working conditions. "It's about developing strategies for a healthier work," said TK board member Norbert Klusen on Tuesday in Berlin. For example, modern communication would have to be used in such a way that workers would not be burdened. The work could be made healthier, for example through "home office" offers or telephone or video conferences.

The Techniker Krankenkasse evaluates every year the data of approximately 3.7 million employed persons in Germany. Here, sick leave, drug prescriptions and hospital admissions play an important role. (Sb)

Also read:
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Young employees twice as often on sick leave
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More missing days due to mental illness
Burnout syndrome becomes a ticking time bomb
Due to psycho-suffering more and more sick leave
Mental illnesses cause high costs

Picture: Gerd Altmann