Over the past five years, the number of people absent due to a stress-related diagnosis has increased by 25 percent, from 34,700 people in 2019 to 43,500 people in 2024. Of these, 79 percent are women.
The greatest risk of being affected by stress-related mental illness is among women between the ages of 30 and 39, as many choose to start a family.
A great responsibility lies with employers and the work environment, according to Anna Tenje.
So that you don't end up in a situation that is unsustainable. Where you can't influence your own work situation so that stress gets the upper hand, she says.
But then there is also the unpaid domestic work and inequality that increases stress, both in the uptake of parental insurance and in the overall context.
Politicians can influence
Ulrik Lidwall, an analyst at the Insurance Agency and author of the situation report, agrees with Tenje that employers have a great responsibility.
It is clearly stated in the Work Environment Act that the employer has the main responsibility. We can agree on that, he says.
Lidwall emphasizes that the Work Environment Authority in its regulations highlights that the issue cannot be "pushed down to the operational managers who work in core operations, but must be lifted to the strategic management level."
But many of these operations where we see big problems are tax-funded, and politicians often have an opportunity to influence here, he says, adding that there is no "quick fix" but the work must be done systematically.
Double work
The combination of work and family formation often increases the burden and affects sick leave for both genders, according to the report. However, women are mainly affected by the double work.
To reverse the trend, the government has taken measures for more flexibility in parental insurance, according to Anna Tenje. This includes more so-called double days, when two parents on parental leave together both receive parental allowance, and extended opportunities to transfer days in parental insurance.
Tenje also highlights the importance of getting people back to work as soon as possible.
We do this by strengthening the return to work through increased coordination of rehabilitation efforts, work-oriented rehabilitation support, and a review of increased opportunities for, among other things, work testing.
