OBJECTIVES : Use objective data to compare patients’ all-cause short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD) and workers' compensation (WC) utilization and explore changes from baseline for employees with mental disorders (MentalDisorders).

METHODS : Employees with medical-claims based on the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality MentalDisorders category were retrospectively identified in WorkPartners Research Reference Database (RRDb) from 2001—2019. Each year the analysis focused on the percent of patients with MentalDisorders and by absence benefit, the percent of eligible employees utilizing the benefit, mean leave-length (days) and median payments as a percent of salary (MedianPay). Disability and WC payments included lump-sum distributions and potentially extended beyond the year initially incurred. Workplace accidents were paid under the WC benefit. WC claims without absence from work (medical-only) were excluded. Sick leave claims may be taken for any reason and were excluded. All employees’ absences were aggregated based on the initiation-year. For each benefit, average leave-length and MedianPay were calculated and compared with baseline (2001).

RESULTS : In 2001, 6.8% of employees had MentalDisorders; of these, 12.7% filed STD-claims lasting 41.75 mean-days at 70.6% MedianPay, 0.7% filed LTD-claims lasting 198.52 mean-days at 19.9 MedianPay, and 1.3% filed WC-claims lasting 57.68 mean-days at 68.0% of MedianPay. From 2002—2019: 4.9%—11.4% of employees had MentalDisorders. 12.0%—15.0% of eligible employees filed STD claims lasting 79.8%—117.1% of baseline-days (BDs) and paying 69.0%—129.2% of MedianPay; 0.6%—1.2% of eligible employees filed LTD-claims lasting 55.5%—398.7% of BDs at 111.2%—279.4% of MedianPay; 0.5%—1.3% of eligible employees filed WC-claims lasting 109.4%—312.8% of BDs at 82.8%—253.4% of MedianPay. MedianPay was highest in 2013(STD), 2019(LTD), and 2004(WC). Claims-lengths were longest in 2019(STD), 2005(LTD) and 2010(WC).

CONCLUSIONS : Employees with mental disorders used different absence benefits over time with varying leave lengths and payments as a percent of salary. Using a constant cost over time for all benefits is not accurate or appropriate.