One in 10 Employees in Europe Have Missed Work Due to Depression - More Than 21,000 Working Days Lost, According to New Survey

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• Publié par: european-depression-association-eda
• Nombre de lectures: 29
• Langue: English

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One in 10 Employees in Europe Have Missed Work Due to Depression - More Than 21,000 Working Days Lost, According to New Survey

PR Newswire BRUSSELS, October 1, 2012

BRUSSELS,October 1, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Depression causes an average of 36 lost working days per episode Managers report need for better legislation, including training and counselling to tackle the problem

One in 10 working people surveyed inEuropehave taken time off work because of depression, with an average of 36 days lost per episode of depression, according to a new survey from the European Depression Association. Thisequates to more than 21,000 days of lost working time in this group of people.However despite the size of the problem, nearly one in three managers reported they had no formal support or resources to deal with employees who have depression, and 43% called for better policies and legislation to protect employees. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56613-european-depression-association Commenting on the results, MEP Stephen Hughes said, "Depression in the workplace is an employment and societal challenge that is causing serious damage and which requires attention and action from the European Union. The inclusion of depression in the workplace in the new European Commission Strategy for Health and Safety at Work, backed up in the coming two years with legislative action, would represent excellent progress towards protecting Europe's workers more effectively and ultimately contributing to economic and social prosperity." Depression is the predominant mental health challenge among working-age people and more than 30 million European citizens will suffer from depression [1] at some point in their life.The IDEA survey (Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe Audit) polled more than 7,000 people inEuropeand found that 20% of respondents had received a diagnosis of depression at some point. The highest rate was in GB (26%) and the lowest inItaly(12%). Among workers experiencing depression, those inGermany(61%),Denmark(60%), and GB (58%) were most likely to take time off work, while those inTurkey were the least likely to take time off (25%). The costs of depression were estimated at €92 billion in 2010 in the EU, with lost productivity due to absenteeism (taking time off work) and presenteeism (being present at work while ill) representing over 50% of all costs related to [1] depression. Inthe IDEA survey the average number of days taken off work during the last episode of depression was 36 days, withGermanyand GB having the highest (41 days) andItaly(23 days) having the lowest. Despite the high rates of absenteeism due to depression, one in four of those ex eriencinde ressionstated thedid not tell their emlo erabout their

problem. Ofthese, one in three said they felt it would put their job at risk in the current economic climate. The cognitive symptoms of depression (concentration difficulties, indecisiveness, and/or forgetfulness) cause significant impairment in work [2] function and productivity,and are present 94% of the time in an episode of [3] depression. However,the survey shows that awareness of these symptoms is poor: whenasked to identify signs of depression only 33% said forgetfulness, 44% indecisiveness and 57% trouble concentrating. In contrast 88% identified low mood or sadness as a sign of depression. Among the managers surveyed, approximately one in three reported there was no formal support in place to help them deal with depression in employees. The lack of support was highest inGermany(44%) and lowest inTurkey(10%). Managers in GB (55%) were most likely to have support from their HR department, while managers inTurkeywere most likely to receive support from a medical professional (79%). When asked what is needed to support employees with depression in the workplace, managers most often cited more counselling services and better government legislation and policies.In Turkey managers were most likely to call for better legislation (55%) and training for all employees (63%). Managers in GB andTurkeywanted better counselling services (56% and 53%), while German managers prioritised line manager training (53%). Dr Vincenzo Costigliola, President of the European Depression Association said "The results of the IDEA survey show that much needs to be done in raising awareness and supporting employees and employers in recognising and managing depression in the workplace.We ask policymakers to consider the impact of depression on the workforce and charge them with addressing depression and workers and workplace safety." Full results of the IDEA survey will be published in 2013.

Notes for Editors

The European Depression Association (EDA)

EDA is an alliance of organisations, patients, researchers and healthcare professionals from 17 countries acrossEuropeyear on. EachOctober 1, EDA organisesEuropean Depression Dayto raise awareness of depression across Europe. The theme of this year's campaign is 'Depression and the Workplace'. OnOctober 1, a group of policy experts and stakeholders will meet inBrussels to continue discussions on how best to address the burden and impact of depression in the workplace inEurope. This meeting follows the Expert Roundtable on Depression in the Workplace held on5 June 2012by MEP Stephen Hughes. The overall aim of the meeting is to secure binding EU legislation on depression in the workplace. The EDA is sponsored by the European Medical Association, International Scientific Association, Centro Lombardo Recuperi Industriali, L.A. Nuova Stampa and H. Lundbeck A/S. http://www.facebook.com/EuropeanDepressionAssociation http://www.europeandepressionday.com @The_EDA: #EUdepressionday About theIDEA (Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe

Audit) Survey The research was conducted using Ipsos MORI's online panel, between 30 August and19 September 2012. Questionswere asked online of 7,065 adults aged 16-64 who are workers and managers, or have worked and managed within the last 12 months, acrossEurope. Results are weighted to ensure the sample was representative of this profile. Full data tables are available upon request. The survey was supported by an educational grant from H. Lundbeck A/S. References 1. Olesen J, Gustavsson A, Svensson M,et al. The economic cost of brain disorders in Europe. Eur J Neurol 2012;19:155-162 2. Greer TL, Kurian BT, Trivedi MH. Defining and measuring functional recovery from depression. CNS Drugs. 2010;24(4):267-284 3. Conradi HJ, Ormel J, de Jonge P. Presence of individual (residual) symptoms during depressive episodes and periods of remission: a 3-year prospective study. Psychol Med. 2011; 41:1165-1174

Video: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56613-european-depression-association