Depression is a major societal challenge due to its frequency and social effects. The economic consequences are also significant, with the estimated annual impact in the United States at around $210 billion, and in Poland in 2014 estimated at PLN 1–2.6 billion per year. A significant part of these costs is the loss of working days and the withdrawal of people affected by depression from the labour market.

Mental disorders, especially depression, are becoming the leading cause of sickness absenteeism in OECD countries, and this relationship is increasing. Studies show that absenteeism associated with depression is more likely than other health problems to lead to people leaving the workforce within five years. Additionally, data indicate that periods of absence due to depression are longer than those of other illnesses, even with modern therapies, and often end up turning into incapacity. Prolonged absenteeism due to depression makes it difficult to return to work and more often leads to permanent exit from the labour market, including retirement.

Other research suggests a reciprocal link between redundancies and depression, meaning that prolonged periods of absence caused by depression can exacerbate symptoms and even lead to suicide attempts. Nevertheless, there are data that show that a greater percentage of patients with depression who recover return to work than remain unemployed.

In addition to the costs associated with employee absenteeism and the resulting losses, there are also costs associated with the reduced professional performance of depressed people present at the workplace. These people often face difficulties in performing professional tasks, both intellectual and physical, and in interpersonal relationships. Additionally, they find it difficult to meet deadlines in the performance of their professional duties. As a result, they make more mistakes, and their functioning at work can even pose a safety risk.

The CIOP-PIB guidelines „Support for employees with depression” read:

„The results of the research obtained at CIOP-PIB confirm the American data showing that people with depression are characterized by a significantly lower ability to work than people without depression or people with other health problems. The increased sickness absence of these people is particularly visible, as well as the presence without productivity and commitment to work, i.e. presentism.

Subsequent results show that people with depression perceive their workplaces as those in which:

• Work demands are too high.
• the employee has no influence on his or her own work,
• it is difficult for the employee to maintain a work-home balance,
• supervisors do not support their employees,
• the level of justice and respect is low,
• the rewards received for work are insufficient,
• Employees are not provided with opportunities for professional development;
• The quality of leadership is low.”

Source: CIOP and PIB materials

Source: https://www.seka.pl/koszty-depresji-zwiazane-z-praca/

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.