Psychological sick leave: what is it and how does it work?

A summary of everything you need to know about sick leave due to psychological disorders.

Humans 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 work performance, relationships with colleagues and various 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 is conducive to the appearance of other more serious conditions, such as depression. The data speak for themselves: 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 the right ones, 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..

Sick leave due to psychological problems

First of all, it should be noted that any reason for sick leave should be evaluated by a primary care physician, in case the mishap is a common illness or a non-occupational accident (if it is an injury in the work environment, you go to the Mutual Insurance Company). With regard to depression and other psychological problems, there are two fronts of action based on the origin of the malaise:

• Common contingencies: when the stressor or trigger of the emotional state is external to the workplace (death of a loved one, separation or any other reason), the sick leave is managed by a primary care physician.
• Professional contingencies: when the stressor or trigger of the emotional state is in the work environment (stress, harassment, mobbing, etc.), the sick leave is managed by the Mutual Insurance Company.

In addition, it should be noted that it is necessary to be registered with the Social Security and to present previous contributions.in the event that the reason is due to common contingencies (specifically, a minimum of 180 days within a 5-year period). It should also be emphasized that the diagnosis is the patient's alone, so he/she is not obliged to inform the company of the reason for the sick leave.

Once the diagnosis has been made and a conclusion reached, the person with chronic depression/stress or generalized anxiety may remain on sick leave for up to 12 months, extendable for a further 6 months if the if the professionals consider it necessary and there is a likelihood of recovery.

Between day 4 and 15 of the sick leave, the professional is paid 60% of his or her contribution base, a figure that stabilizes at a constant 75% from day 16 onwards.

Anxiety-related sick leave

At the end of the day, the only one who can determine whether a particular condition is a pathology or a state within normality is the professional specializing in mental health. In any case, it does not hurt to establish a series of bases with regard to 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 anxiety 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 promotes an increase in heart rate, constricts Blood vessels and increases the respiratory rate. This leads to a fight or flight response, which lasts only a short time.

On the other hand, cortisol is released over the long termIt responds to stress by mobilizing nutrients to the muscle tissues and suppressing those processes that are not essential at the time (such as the immune system or the correct digestive balance). When the body is chronically exposed to cortisol for no particular reason, symptoms of chronic anxiety appear, such as intestinal problems, difficulty concentrating, chest pain, trouble resting, cramps and so on.

The difference between trait and pathology lies in the duration of the event.. If the anxiety lasts a few days and is justified, it may be normal. The problem comes when there is no stressor and the person remains anxious, with a constant "background" discomfort. In general, a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is considered when the symptomatology is established for a period of 6 months or more. The prevalence of GAD is estimated to be between 3 and 7% of the general population.

Depression-related sick leave

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 the individual's well-being. In any case, in order for a patient to be diagnosed with depression, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders gives us the following guidelines:

• Depressed mood during most of the day.
• A marked decrease in pleasure from activities that were previously considered stimulating.
• Significant weight gain or loss (more or less than 5% of body mass) or loss of appetite.
• Insomnia.
• Agitation and psychomotor slowing. This sign should be observed by the environment, not a self-perception of the patient.
• Loss of energy, feeling of fatigue.
• Feeling of uselessness and excessive guilt.
• Impaired ability to think, concentrate and marked difficulty in making decisions.
• Suicide attempt, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide or making a specific plan to commit suicide.

For the diagnosis to be reliable, the patient must present at least 5 of these symptoms for a period of at least two weeks, with the symptomology present almost every day of the week. If you see yourself reflected in these lines do not hesitate to go to a medical professional. No longer for the sick leave, but for your well-being as a person.

The importance of mental health at work

Depression is one of the leading causes of work disability worldwide, perhaps second only to work-related disorders.second only to musculoskeletal disorders (such as low back pain). It is estimated that 3% of short-term sick leave is caused by depressive conditions and 76% of those requesting sick leave are women.

Workplace bullying, unrealistic expectations, mobbing and many other events can make life at work a living hell. Every citizen has the right to ask for a leave of absence when he/she considers it pertinent, but first of all, it is necessary to nip in the bud the behaviors, dynamics and conducts that lead to the psychological problem in the first instance.