Mental health day
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In workplaces, especially in Australia, a mental health day is where an employee takes sick leave, or where a student does not attend school for a day or longer, for reasons other than physical illness. Mental health days are believed to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, which is a reduction in productivity or other negative consequences resulting from a pressure to work.[1][2] Mental health days differ from absenteeism in that the purpose is to reset one's mental health rather than due to a nonspecific desire or feeling to skip work.
Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other mental illnesses, along with moods such as stress, depression, and anxiety, can cause impairment on workplace functioning and learning. There is evidence in the United States that inadequate managerial support for mental illnesses and negative moods has led to increased absenteeism, morbidity, and an estimated US$300 billion yearly loss as a result of workplace stress.[3]
The stigma associated with mental illness also restricts the ability of students and employees to claim sick leave for mental health.[2][3][4] One interpretation of the term "mental health day" is to function as an alternative wording to "sick day" to avoid stigma from workplace mental health issues, so that employees are more able to express difficulty and request support.[5]
A 2010 study showed that one third of workers "admit to faking an illness to get the day off work because they feel they are not coping."[6][unreliable source?] According to a 2016 study among nurses, approximately 54% of the 5041 respondents reported taking mental health days as a form of sickness absence over the previous 12 months, with many citing experiences of workplace abuse. The study also found that nurses who took these mental health days were more likely to plan on leaving their current job within the next year.[7]