GPs are often over-medicalising stress and anxiety by issuing fit notes instead of helping people remain engaged in the workplace. Work challenges can be constructive when addressed in a supportive environment, but criticism and lack of support can lead to anxiety and default sick-note responses. Mental-health-related sickness certifications have risen sharply since the pandemic, especially among those under 35. About a quarter of those inactive due to long-term illness are younger than 35, and young people with mental-health problems are nearly five times more likely to drop out of work. Long-term sickness absences rose from 2.1 million in early 2020 to 2.8 million.
"Work can be tough. It's meant to be tough," he said. "Sometimes you're meant to find it hard. You're not meant to ace everything or get everything right. When challenges are dealt with in a supportive environment, they can be a constructive process of improvement. But if you feel criticised and unsupported, you may start to feel anxious or stressed - and the default response is too often a sick note."
About a quarter of all those classed as economically inactive due to long-term illness are younger than 35, and young people with mental health problems are nearly five times more likely to drop out of work than their peers. There are now 2.8 million people not working because of long-term sickness, up from 2.1 million in early 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics.
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