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'It is crucial that businesses make mental health and well-being a priority to prevent disability in the first place.'
Ottawa (10 Sept. 2010) - Mental illness is linked to more lost work days than any other chronic condition, costing the Canadian economy $51 billion a year in lost productivity, says a new study reported by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
The report says depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are the most common mental illnesses in the Canadian workforce, each case leading to an average 65-day leave and a bill of $18,000. About 10% of Canadians in the workforce between 18 and 54 years old suffer from mental health issues.
By comparison, the average short-term physical disability leave lasts about 33 days, costing employers an average of about $9,000. The most common reasons employees take physical disability leave include respiratory illness, muscular skeletal problems, injury and digestive disorders.
The study appeared in the summer issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
"Only a fraction of disability leaves are due to mental illness yet it costs employers the most," Carolyn Dewa, lead investigator in the study, told Postmedia News.
"It is crucial that businesses make mental health and well-being a priority to prevent disability in the first place."
Dewa centered her investigation on an Ontario company with more than 12,400 employees in various cities and rural areas. She said the project was a "mutual collaboration." The company approached CAMH because it was interested in making sure it had a healthy workplace.
Researchers looked at more than 33,900 records from 2003 to 2006.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
• Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health