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Economics of mental wellbeing : a prospective study estimating associated productivity costs due to sickness absence from the workplace in Denmark
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Santini, Ziggi Ivan, Thygesen, Lau Caspar, Koyanagi, Ai, Stewart-Brown, Sarah, Meilstrup, Charlotte, Nielsen, Line, Olsen, Kim Rose, Birkjær, Michael, McDaid, David, Koushede, Vibeke and Ekholm, Ola (2022) Economics of mental wellbeing : a prospective study estimating associated productivity costs due to sickness absence from the workplace in Denmark. Mental Health & Prevention, 28 . 200247. doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2022.200247 ISSN 2212-6570.
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WRAP-Economics-of-mental-wellbeing-a-prospective-study-estimating-associated-productivity-costs-due-to-sickness-absence-from-the-workplace-in-Denmark-Stewart-Brown-2022.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0. Download (902Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2022.200247
Abstract
Background
Few studies have assessed associations between mental wellbeing (MWB) and productivity loss using nationally-representative longitudinal data. The objective of the study was to determine how different levels of MWB are associated with future productivity loss or costs due to sickness absence.
Methods
Data stem from a Danish nationally representative panel study of 1,959 employed adults (aged 16–64 years old) conducted in 2019 and 2020, which was linked to Danish register data. The validated Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) was used to assess MWB in 2019. The outcome was days absent from work due to sickness in 2020. Linear regression models were used to predict sickness absence in 2020 while adjusting for sickness absence in 2019, sociodemographics and health status, including psychiatric morbidity. Productivity loss or costs were estimated using the human capital approach (HCA) and friction cost approach (FCA). Costs are expressed in USD PPP.
Results
Each point increase in MWB was significantly associated with fewer sick days in 2020 and, by extension, lower productivity loss (reported in the order HCA/FCA). As compared to low MWB, moderate MWB was associated with $-1,614/$-1,271 per person in 2020, while high MWB was associated with $-2,351/$-1,779 per person in 2020. Extrapolated to the Danish population (2.7 M employed adults aged 16–64) and as compared to low MWB (12.3% of the population), moderate MWB (67.3% of the population) was associated with lower productivity loss amounting to $-2.9bn/$-2.3bn in 2020, while high MWB (20.4% of the population) was associated with lower productivity loss amounting to $-1.3bn/$-0.9bn in 2020.
Conclusions
Higher levels of MWB are associated with considerably less productivity loss. Substantial reductions in productivity loss could potentially be achieved by promoting higher levels of MWB in the population workforce.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||
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Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Medical economics , Medical economics -- Denmark, Labor productivity , Labor productivity -- Denmark, Absenteeism (Labor) , Absenteeism (Labor) -- Denmark, Mental health , Self-care, Health -- Denmark, Well-being | ||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Mental Health & Prevention | ||||||||||
Publisher: | Elsevier | ||||||||||
ISSN: | 2212-6570 | ||||||||||
Official Date: | December 2022 | ||||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 28 | ||||||||||
Number of Pages: | 12 | ||||||||||
Article Number: | 200247 | ||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1016/j.mhp.2022.200247 | ||||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 25 October 2022 | ||||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 25 October 2022 | ||||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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