There is enormous exhaustion, nothing works anymore. Going to work in this state? Unthinkable. But who can give you sick leave if your mental state is no longer up to it?
More and more people are experiencing that their psyche can no longer cope. Absenteeism due to mental illness has increased significantly, as data from KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse shows, among others. According to this, absences due to mental illness rose to 303 days of absence per 100 insured persons in the first half of 2023 – an increase of 85 percent compared to the same period last year.
Sick note due to mental exhaustion
Who can take you out of circulation if nothing else works? “A licensed doctor can determine whether you are unfit for work, and the decision is made on medical grounds,” explains Roland Stahl from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.
This means that if the mental health is so bad that working is not possible, a family doctor can issue a sick note, as can a psychiatrist or other specialist.
The path to diagnosis can take time
Especially in the case of mental illnesses, it is often not clear from the first visit to the doctor’s office what illness is behind the symptoms. However, this does not prevent a sick note from being issued. “If there is no confirmed diagnosis, sick notes are often issued first for exhaustion syndrome or something similar,” says Nathalie Oberthür, a specialist lawyer for employment law from Cologne.
By the way: According to Nathalie Oberthür, it is impossible for the employer to find out about the psychological problems via the sick note. “The sick note is now accessed electronically, so you can’t see a diagnosis and – unlike before – you can’t see the doctor who issued it.”
If you are acutely depressed or have suicidal thoughts, contact the telephone counseling service online or by calling 0800 / 111 0 111 or 0800 / 111 0 222 or 116123. The German Depression Helpline can also help by calling 0800 / 33 44 533. In an emergency, please contact the nearest psychiatric clinic or the emergency doctor by calling 112.
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