Sick Leave Due To Psychological Problems: What They Are And How They Work
Human beings spend approximately 9 hours a day in the work environment. This means that more than half of our “useful” routine (in which we are not sleeping) corresponds to performance at work, relationships with colleagues and different production dynamics. If a person is unhappy in this area of his life, he will hardly be well in any other.
For this reason, it is not difficult for us to recognize that work is a clear source of stress and anxiety and promotes the appearance of other more serious conditions, such as depression. The data speaks for itself: in Spain, 60% of workers suffer stress derived from their job and only 37% are happy with their level of work-life balance. It is a fact that work dynamics are not usually adequate, no matter how much workers put up with them.
Based on this premise, Let’s see what roles stress, anxiety and depression play in sick leave..
First of all, it should be noted that any reason for sick leave must be evaluated by a primary care doctor, in case the mishap is a common illness or a non-work accident (if it is an injury in the work environment, you go to the Mutua). Regarding depression and other psychological problems, there are two fronts of action based on the origin of the discomfort.:
Furthermore, it should be noted that It is necessary to be registered with Social Security and present previous contributions, in the event that the reason is due to common contingencies (specifically, a minimum of 180 days in a time interval of 5 years). It must also be emphasized that the diagnosis belongs to the patient alone, so they have no obligation to inform the company of the reason for their withdrawal.
Once the diagnosis has been made and the conclusion reached, the person with chronic depression/stress or generalized anxiety can remain on leave for a maximum of 12 months, extendable for a further 6 months if professionals see it necessary and there is a probability of recovery.
Between the 4th and 15th day of sick leave, the professional receives 60% of his contribution base, a figure that stabilizes at a constant 75% from the 16th.
Leave due to anxiety
After all, the only one who can determine whether a specific condition is a pathology or a state within normality is the professional specialized in mental health. In any case, it doesn’t hurt to lay a series of foundations regarding the mental disorders that concern us here.
Above all, “state” anxiety and “pathology” anxiety can cause confusion in the general population. It is normal to feel anxious for a few days if an important event is approaching or if something has gone wrong in the work environment, as this is an essential physiological response in humans. When we feel danger, adrenaline is released in our body, which encourages an increase in heart rate, constricts blood vessels and increases breathing rate. This leads to a fight or flight response, which lasts a short time.
On the other hand, cortisol is released long term, and responds to stress by mobilizing nutrients to muscle tissues and suppressing those processes that are not essential at the moment (such as the immune system or correct digestive balance). When the body is exposed to cortisol chronically for no specific reason, symptoms of chronic anxiety appear, such as intestinal problems, difficulty concentrating, chest pain, problems resting, cramps, and other things.
The difference between trait and pathology is found in the duration of the event. If anxiety lasts a few days and is justified, it may be normal. The problem arises when there is no stressor and the person continues to be anxious, with a constant “background” discomfort. In general, a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is considered when the symptoms persist for a period of 6 months or more. The prevalence of GAD is estimated between 3 and 7% of the general population.
Leave due to depression
Depression is a very different story, as it is much better to err on the side of caution, go to the doctor and rule out the diagnosis in all cases, rather than let the condition gradually take over individual well-being. Anyway, So that a patient can be diagnosed with depression, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders gives us the following guidelines:
For the diagnosis to be reliable, the patient must present at least 5 of these symptoms for a minimum period of two weeks, with the signology present almost every day of the week. If you see yourself reflected in these lines, do not hesitate to go to a medical professional. Not because of sick leave, but because of your well-being as a person.
The importance of mental health at work
Depression is one of the leading causes of work disability around the world., perhaps only surpassed by musculoskeletal disorders (such as low back pain). It is estimated that 3% of short-term sick leave is caused by depressive symptoms and 76% of those who request it are women.
Workplace harassment, unrealistic expectations, mobbing and many other events can make life at work a true hell. Every citizen has the right to request a leave when they consider it appropriate, but above all, it is necessary to nip in the bud the behaviors, dynamics and conduct that lead to the psychological problem in the first instance.
