NATIONAL NEWS - A study has revealed depression is costing the country more than R200 billion each year.
And in light of this finding, chairperson of the Psychiatry Management Group Sebolelo Seape says it is time for employers to realise the role they must play in addressing the mental illness.
The body used the study conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science to highlight the effect depression has in the work environment for World Mental Health Day on Tuesday.
Seape says 4.5 million South Africans suffer from depression.
“Depression is costing the country 4.2% of the GDP due to presenteeism, which is the number of people who come to work but are incapacitated from depression so they are not able to work. And the total is about 5.7% of GDP if we include people who are absent from work.”
Study: Depression costs SA over R200 billion a year
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