8266076 Evalution of the direct cost of absenteeism linked to long-term psychiatric sick leave among public service workers

<h3>Objective</h3> Absenteeism due to psychiatric illness represents a major issue in the civil service sector, both in socio-professional and economic terms. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> This was a retrospective descriptive study that included public service workers referred to the Commission Médicale de Contrôle de l’Absenteisme, implemented in the Occupational Medicine Department of the Charles Nicolle Hospital and composed of psychiatrists and occupational physicians. This study was carried out over the period from August 2022 to November 2024. The estimate of the direct cost of absenteeism linked to long-term sick leave for psychiatric reasons was based on the number of days of sick leave prescribed by the attending physician and on the average net monthly salary per professional categor <h3>Results</h3> We collated 1875 workers referred to the Medical Commission for the Control of Absenteeism. The mean age of the consultants was 46.1±16.96 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.31. The majority (82.8%) worked in the health sector. The most common occupations were nurses (27.7%) and manual workers (19.8%). The average length of service was 16.96±10.34 years. The most common psychiatric illnesses were anxiety-depressive disorders (85.5%), bipolar disorders (5.8%) and schizophrenia (1.8%). The average number of days absent from work over the previous 12 months was 62.74±44.27 days. The factors leading to the decompensation of psychiatric illnesses were linked to a pathological state of health in 35.4% of cases, social factors in 33.4% and occupational factors in 29.9% of cases. The average overall cost of illness related to absenteeism was 1,692,606.09 $ (USD) with an average cost of 930.91$ (USD) per worker. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The direct cost of absenteeism was significant . Prevention, based on early detection of psychiatric illness and improved working conditions, is the best strategy for reducing expenditure.