In recent years, there has been a disturbing increase in the number of cases of sick leave due to mental and behavioural disorders taken by employees in Europe. This has also been noted in Poland and our study attempts to analyse the trend and investigate it in the light of related current knowledge.

In qualitative terms, sick leave can serve as a measurable indicator of the social state of health and be accepted complementary to quantitative analysis. In the context of mental and behavioural disorders, it clearly emphasises the increase in patient self-awareness and shows the deficiencies in this sector of health care. Between 2012 and 2017, an increase in the number of days of absence due to mental and behavioural disorders in Poland was detected. Between 2012 and 2016, a significant increase of costs related to mental disorder treatment was observed. Insufficient medical staff and current funding does not satisfy the growing need of Polish society in this area.