Why do women take twice as much time off as men for mental health reasons?

Why do women take twice as much time off as men for mental health reasons?

While, on average, male employees in the UK took 0.44 days a year off work because of stress, anxiety and depression in 2023/24, this figure rises to 0.91 among women, according to the Health and Safety Executive’s latest labour force survey.

This equates to a total of 16.4 million days of absence from mental health related causes. Employees dealing with mental health issues took an average of 21.1 days off each year, well above the average.

Menopause, caring, and insecurity

Asked to explain the disparity between women and men, charity and campaign groups have highlighted the additional pressures facing women, in terms of unequal pay and discrimina-tion.

They also point to the greater prevalence of absence among older women (affected by the symptoms of menopause, and the combination of caring responsibilities, both for children and parents), and those between 25 and 34 who were more likely to be feeling the pres-sures from insecure work roles.

The problem with silence

EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett said: “The HSE data confirms that mental health problems are the largest cause of absence among employees in the UK. The detail provides important evidence for HR in terms of the need for particular support among women: more flexibility, more understanding.

“There is also the issue of what the numbers don’t say. Just because men don’t take time the same amount of time off doesn’t mean they’re not dealing with similar levels of stress, depression and anxiety. The critical fact is that rates of male suicide continue to be much higher — all suggesting that men don’t do anything about their problems, they’re bottled up, and that tends to lead to more serious cases over time. So again, targeted awareness campaigns are needed.”