Many more illnesses in Northern Germany

More illnesses in northern Germany

01/06/2012

According to an evaluation of the health statistics of insured persons of the German employee health insurance „DAK health“ Workers have been sick as often as they have not been for a long time. The main cause were above all the mental illness, as the cash register announced.

Employees in Lower Saxony and Bremen are increasingly ill. In the last year of 2011, employees have been sick more frequently than they have been for over 15 years. A co-responsibility for the increased sickness apparently have the mental suffering, which affects more and more people. The experts of the health insurance company compared the data of about 268,000 gainfully employed insured persons from Bremen and Lower Saxony. The results were published in the health report.

On average, employees stayed away from work in around 13 days due to illness in 2011. Employees in Lower Saxony were most often absent due to back pain, respiratory problems, abdominal pain and mental illness.

Mental illness on the rise
„The significant increase in absenteeism due to mental illness is a cause for concern“, explains Regina Schulz, head of DAK health in northern Germany. In Bremen, mental illnesses such as depression even reached second place after musculoskeletal disorders in the sick leave with 16.6 percent. In Lower Saxony, back pain and respiratory illnesses were still ahead of mental illness.

The overall record-breaking sickness rate in the past year is also due to demographic change for the head of the DAK in Lower Saxony: „The first signs of demographic change are already beginning to show across all industries, as older workers are sick longer.“ In addition, job stress is another cause of job losses. According to the study, one in ten workers in Lower Saxony suffers from stress at work, which is reflected, among other things, in an excessive workload and time pressure. When recognition and salary no longer outweighs stress, it often results in sleep disorders, headaches, and mental health problems. In addition, the risk of heart attack increases. „It pays for companies to invest in effective stress management. Through a networked care we will help to initiate the early diagnosis and therapy, so that these diseases do not become chronic if possible“, Schulz says and adds: „A good working atmosphere, positive leadership culture and family-friendly workplaces play a role in the prevention of mental illness.“

In the north, most illnesses occurred in the healthcare industry, the administration of Lower Saxony and in the service sector. The lowest number of sickness-related failures occurred among employees at insurance companies, banks, the administration in the state of Bremen and employees in the areas of legal advice, the media, education and culture. (Ag)

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Image: Verena N..