Brussels, 01/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - One European in ten has already missed work due to depression, with an average of 36 lost working days per episode. These figures are quoted by the European Depression Association (EDA) in a study published on Monday 1 October - European Depression Day.
This year's theme is depression in the workplace. On 1 October several experts met at the European Parliament in order to deepen discussion and convince the European institutions to include depression in the workplace in the list of priorities set out by the European strategy for health and safety at work. The campaign is supported by MEP Stephen Hughes (S&D, United Kingdom). “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”, Hughes said.
According to the pan-European study commissioned by EDA and led by the Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe Audit (IDEA), depression in the workplace is a phenomenon that is still little understood and accepted. Few people reveal this illness for fear of being viewed badly or losing their job. “…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”, said EDA president, Vincenzo Costigliola.
In spite of the scale of this phenomenon, nearly one in three employers say that they do not have adequate resources or support to help employees who suffer from depression in the workplace, while 43% call for a better policy and better legislation to protect employees. According to statistics, 30 million Europeans will one day suffer from depression at work. The highest case rate was in Great Britain (26%) and the lowest in Italy (12%). It is in Germany that the rate of absenteeism for reasons of depression is the highest (61%), followed by Denmark (60%) and Great Britain (58%). The lowest is in Turkey (25%). The costs of depression at the workplace in the European Union were estimated at €92 million in 2010. Germany and Great Britain have the highest number of days taken off work for reasons of depression (41 days per episode). With 23 days, Italy records the shortest episodes, with a European average of 36 days. (IL/transl.fl)