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Mental health tops sick‑leave reasons in Germany as reforms loom
Analyses by the DAK health insurer show that mental‑health disorders became the leading cause of sick leave in the first half of 2026 in Bavaria and other German regions. In Bavaria sick‑leave due to mental illness rose 12% while respiratory‑related absences fell about 25%; in Hessen the increase was 9% and in Niedersachsen 7%.
Across Germany the average number of sick‑leave days per worker was about 22 days in 2024, one of the highest levels in Europe. Data from the BKK insurers and AOK indicate mental disorders account for 4.8% of all sickness cases and that sick‑leave days attributed to mental health among AOK members have risen 47% since 2014.
The coalition government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to abolish telephone sick notes and to require a medical certificate from the first day of absence – a measure critics say adds bureaucracy without cutting absenteeism.
Researchers link the high absenteeism to chronic understaffing, low pay and high emotional demands in health‑care, education and social‑work sectors.
Entities
AOK · AOK health insurance · Chancellor Friedrich Merz · DAK (Deutsche Angestellten‑Krankenkasse) · DAK Gesundheitskasse · DAK health insurer · Friedrich Merz · German Federal Government · IGES Institute · Johannes Siegrist · Rainer Blasutto
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Mental‑health related absences are the second‑biggest cause of absence after respiratory diseases in Germany. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Mental disorders accounted for 4.8% of sickness cases in Germany. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com · wdez.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Average sick‑leave days rose sharply after electronic sick‑note reporting was introduced in 2022. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com · wdez.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Sick‑leave days due to mental health among AOK members rose 47% since 2014. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com · wdez.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Germany will scrap telephone sick notes and require medical certificates from the first day of absence. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Women in health‑care and social work took an average of 27 sick days in 2024; teachers took 24. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] German workers took an average of about 22 days of sick leave in 2024. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Researchers link high absenteeism in nursing, care work and teaching to chronic understaffing, low pay, weak career prospects and high emotional demands. mix929.com · jack1065.com · wixx.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] German coalition plans to scrap telephone sick notes and require medical certificates from the first day of absence. mix929.com · wixx.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Average sick‑leave per worker in Germany was about 22 days in 2024. mix929.com · wixx.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Sick‑leave days due to mental health among AOK members rose 47 % since 2014, making it the second‑biggest cause after respiratory diseases. mix929.com · wixx.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Researchers link high absenteeism in healthcare, education and social work to chronic understaffing, low pay and high emotional demands. mix929.com · wixx.com