Mental Health at Work

More than every third person in Germany suffers from a ( treatment-requiring) mental illness at some point in their lives. These include depression, anxiety disorders, burnout, psychoses and various addictions. In German companies, mental illness is among the most common causes of employee absences. The increasing number of absences caused by this kind of illness often confronts companies with major challenges. Many companies are uncertain how to respond to this development. In addition, companies, managers and employees are often not sufficiently prepared to deal with mentally stressed or ill employees.

Based on clinical practice, we know that the “wrong” way of dealing with mentally ill employees can lead to further conflicts and stress for the entire team. The result can often be further absenteeism and loss of performance. Despite this, many problems can be prevented by educating managers and employees on how to deal with mentally ill employees and how to react to the situation with the help of tried-and-tested support. A wide range of evidence-based preventative measures can be implemented in companies. “Healthy leadership” is becoming increasingly important.