The escalating rates of work-related illness due to mental health conditions, recently highlighted in the AOK’s 2025 Absence Report, are triggering urgent calls for systemic reform within Germany’s labor and healthcare sectors. Andrea Benecke, President of the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapy (BPtK), voiced serious concerns regarding the report’s findings, emphasizing both the profound individual suffering and the significant economic repercussions stemming from delayed or inadequate mental health interventions.
Benecke’s remarks, published in the “Rheinische Post” underscored a pressing need to move beyond reactive measures and proactively address the root causes of this growing crisis. Current strategies, she argues, are demonstrably failing to adequately support employees facing mental health challenges, leading to prolonged absences and diminished productivity.
The BPtK President specifically calls for a fundamental shift in approach, advocating for readily accessible and effective preventative structures within workplaces. This includes the implementation of comprehensive occupational health promotion programs that prioritize mental well-being, a far cry from what is currently offered in many businesses. Benecke sharply critiqued the continued underinvestment in mental health services, framing it not as a cost, but as a vital economic stimulus. “Every investment in mental health is an investment in the economy, in skilled workers, productivity and competitiveness” she stated, implicitly challenging the policy decisions that have contributed to the current situation.
Beyond urban centers, the issue is particularly acute in rural areas, where access to psychotherapy and psychiatric care remains severely limited. The report’s findings highlight a stark disparity in service provision, exacerbating the challenges faced by employees in these regions. Crucially, Benecke also emphasized the critical importance of structured return-to-work programs following periods of absence, highlighting their potential to facilitate a smoother transition back into the workforce and prevent prolonged disability. Failure to implement such programs, she argues, represents a missed opportunity to both support individuals and mitigate further economic losses.
