Poland sees rise in mental health-related sick leave

Data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) indicates a significant rise in sick leave due to mental health disorders and behavioral issues in Poland. Between 2022 and last year, the number of medical certificates issued for these conditions increased by over one-third, while the total number of days of work absence rose by 43 percent, reaching 34.1 million days.

The primary causes for these absences are long-term stress and adaptive disorders, accounting for nearly 12.6 million days of absence. Depression follows as the second most common cause, resulting in 9.4 million days of absence, while other anxiety disorders contributed to nearly 6.6 million days.

Regarding the validity of these certificates, ZUS noted that while there are public claims that psychiatric sick leaves are often issued without medical grounds, audits show such instances are rare. Medical examiners questioned between 3.4 and 6 percent of controlled psychiatric certificates, a rate comparable to the 2.5 to 4.1 percent seen in overall controlled sick leave audits.