A study by the Health Insurance Company reports the increasingly frequent declaration of psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress), which are recognized 7 times more often as occupational diseases. Women and employees in contact with the public are the first victims.
In 2016, more than 10,000 cases of psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout) were recognized as work accidents, at an estimated cost of 230 million euros, reveals the Health Insurance in a study “Occupational health: challenges and actions”, made public this Tuesday.
A five-year increase in work-related psychosocial disorders, even as the number of other work accidents is falling.
In addition, 596 mental disorders were recognized as an occupational disease in the same year, a number which, even if it remains marginal, has multiplied by five in five years.
The study also reveals that the number of suicides recognized as an accident at work fluctuates between 10 and 30 annually.
An increase in the proportion of mental disorders
The work accidents and occupational diseases branch of the Sickness Insurance studied the medical certificates of the 626,000 work accidents recognized in 2016. Among them, around 10,000 (ie 1.6% against 1% in 2011) concerned mental disorders. (anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, depression, burn-out, post-traumatic stress disorder …).
More and more policyholders are asking for recognition of their mental illness as an occupational disease (1,100 in 2016 against 200 in 2012), which reinforces the increase. Recognition of an accident at work makes it possible to receive daily allowances greater than those received for simple illness, with no time limit.
Two main triggers
These work accidents can be caused by an external triggering event related to work, as in the case of an assault, a robbery, an attack … But they can also be the indicators of intrinsically difficult working conditions. (violent altercation with a superior …).
The recognition of mental disorders as accidents at work is based on the medical certificate which describes the accident and its circumstances.
In total, the cost of care for work-related mental illnesses amounted to 230 million euros in 2016 for the work-related accidents and occupational diseases branch of the Health Insurance. An amount to be put into perspective with regard to the cost of other diseases, such as low back pain (1 billion) and musculoskeletal disorders (800 million).
Women and employees primarily concerned
People affected by work-related mental disorders are on average 40 years old, and are for the majority of employees, even if managers are proportionally more affected.
In 60% of cases, they are women, due to their over-representation in certain professions which expose them to greater exposure to psycho-social risks.
The duration of sick leave linked to a work accident for mental illness is on average much longer (112 days) than for work accidents in general (65 days).
Public contact toxicity
The medico-social sector alone thus concentrates 20% of mental illnesses recognized as accidents at work, while it employs 10% of employees. Transport (15% of mental illnesses) and retail trade (13%) are also strongly represented.
These three sectors have in common to be in contact with the public, according to the Health Insurance.
The mental illnesses that have been recognized as an occupational disease are first depressions (77%), then anxiety disorders (11%), post-traumatic stress disorder (10%), and other disorders. mental and behavioral.
Health Insurance, which carried out this assessment in order to identify the sectors and employees most affected to guide preventive measures. It invites companies to step up their actions to prevent psychosocial risks in this context and encourages employees to turn to their staff representatives to obtain claims reports.
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