Social Security Minister Judy Martin has described the number as ‘a worrying sign of the times’ and said that the Council of Ministers was making wellbeing one of its key priorities.
New figures reveal there were 2,736 claims for Short Term Incapacity Allowance amounting to a combined 103,953 days off work last year due to depression, stress and anxiety. That compares to 2,478 claims amounting to 96,115 days the previous year.
The last time the number of days taken off work for mental health issues was higher was in 2012, when 2,461 claims were made for a total of 107,999 days off work.
According to the Social Security Department’s recently published annual report for 2017, time taken off work for depression, stress and anxiety accounted for 11 per cent of all claims last year, with each lasting for an average of 38 days, and cost £3,032,309 in Short Term Incapacity Allowance.
Short Term Incapacity Allowance is usually authorised by GPs, who issue medical certificates, or sick notes, and is paid for a maximum of 364 days.
Meanwhile, there were a further 901 claims for Long Term Incapacity Allowance for depression, stress and anxiety – accounting for more than a fifth of all payouts. They are paid out following a Social Security medical assessment where there has been ‘a long term loss of faculty’.
Deputy Martin said: ‘People are increasingly stressed both in work and out of work. I don’t see that many jobs offering traditional nine to five hours like when I started work. Unfortunately, it’s across the western world.’
She added that wellbeing was a key theme for the new Council of Ministers, who were in the middle of formulating their key policies.
‘We want to make sure people’s wellbeing and value are being talked about,’ the minister said. ‘Nobody wants to be stressed, then go off sick. That then leads to depression because you can’t do your job. It all just gets worse.’
Beth Moore from the Jersey Recovery College, a charity that runs mental health courses, says employers needed to take more responsibility for their employees’ wellbeing.
She said: ‘These figures don’t surprise me because people are becoming more aware of mental health and getting help earlier, which is a really good thing.
‘In one sense it is a sign that people are seeking help earlier. But on the other hand it’s a sign of our culture. People are working harder. Life is more stressful.
‘There’s certainly a corporate culture that’s prevalent in many industries in Jersey, including the public sector, and life itself can cause stress. Employers can give as many meditation and yoga classes and free fruit as they like, but if they still expect people to work under significant pressure and over and above a normal working week, the problem will persist. People should be able to go home and turn their phones off and enjoy their family life.’
The Recovery College hosts regular free courses for people with a mental health difficulty, whether or not they have received a formal diagnosis.
‘Anybody who feels that they are struggling should go to their GP,’ Ms Moore said. ‘They will co-ordinate everything for them. There are other places people can go to, as well, including us, by self-referral. There’s also Mind Jersey. If you’re in that position, don’t try and weather it on your own.’
