Rising Mental Health Challenges Among Swedish Managers Highlight Need for Workplace Change

Recent data from Skandia's report "Sveriges sjukaste yrken" reveals a significant rise in sick leave due to psychological ill health among managers in Sweden, with a 3.7 percentage point increase since 2019, outpacing the 2 percentage point rise seen in other professions. Gabriel Lundström, Skandia's sustainability manager, attributes this trend to increased demands for constant availability and high performance in today's work environment. Psychologist Marie Bremberg underscores the difficulty managers face in separating work from personal life, exacerbated by technology blurring these boundaries.

The communication, banking, and insurance sectors are particularly affected, with communication professionals experiencing notably high stress due to rapid technological changes and unclear workflows. Female managers are reporting more sick days than their male peers, a disparity linked to the additional domestic responsibilities they often bear.

To combat these issues, the report advises managers to adopt four strategies: reviewing workweeks for more flexibility, setting clear boundaries between work and home life, determining personal recovery methods, and championing a supportive work environment as leaders.

In parallel, the Swedish government is intensifying efforts to improve mental health awareness and reduce stigma, which remains a barrier to seeking help. Health agencies have received new mandates to enhance knowledge about mental health, including suicidality and emerging concerns such as ortorexia nervosa. Social Minister Jakob Forssmed and other officials stress that dismantling stigma is essential for encouraging support-seeking behaviors. The government expects comprehensive findings by mid-2027.

Together, these developments highlight both the urgent need to support managers facing growing psychological pressures and the broader national initiatives aimed at fostering mental wellbeing and reducing the social stigma around mental health in Sweden.