Sick leave due to occupational mental disorders in Brazil Northeastern states: an ecological study

Although work provides many benefits, occupational mental disorders, such as mental distress, depression, and stress-related illnesses have significantly increased.

This study aims to identify and present the spatial distribution of the major mental and behavioral disorders that lead to sick leave in Brazil Northeastern states.

This descriptive study with an ecological time series design aimed to identify the distribution of occupational mental and behavioral disorders in Brazil Northeastern states. Data collection included downloading information from the Observatório de Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho (SmartLab, Occupational Health and Safety Observatory) from 2012 to 2018. Data were analyzed using Python.

Grants of sick leave according to the type of illness were recorded for nonaccident-related leave (B31) and accident-related leave (B91). Bahia had the highest number of cases reported for B31, as did Rio Grande do Norte for B91. Rio Grande do Norte and Alagoas stood out with the highest rates of sick leave due to mental and behavioral disorders. Phobic-anxiety disorders had the highest number of notifications. The building construction industry had the highest number of work-related notifications.

This study has contributed to identifying the main occupational disorders. Public policies need to be implemented to tackle the public health crisis which directly impacts on domestic social and economic conditions.