DAK Psychreport 2025 RLP
DAK Psychreport 2025 Rhineland-Palatinate: What the Numbers Mean for Employers in the Region
Note: this covers German law. The DAK Psychreport 2025 is a regional analysis for Rhineland-Palatinate: 364 sick days per 100 insured due to mental health conditions (+5% YoY). Avg. case duration: 35 days. Depression (F32/F33): 203 days. Employers: GBPsych and BEM are the mandatory legal responses.
DAK Psychreport 2025 Rhineland-Palatinate: Key Figures
| Psychreport Finding (RLP) | 2024 Value | WHP Response |
|---|---|---|
| Mental health conditions: sick days per 100 insured | 364 sick days (+5% vs. prior year 348) | GBPsych (§ 5 ArbSchG) + stress management § 20 SGB V |
| Average case duration, mental health-related sick leave | 35 days per case (age 60+: up to 60 days) | BEM deadline monitoring — longer cases exceed the six-week threshold of Section 167 SGB IX |
| Depression (F32/F33): most common single diagnosis | 203 sick days per 100 insured (+4% vs. prior year) | BEM + psychological counseling (clarify cost coverage with the health insurer) |
| Anxiety disorders (F41) | 26 sick days per 100 insured (+11%) | Psychological counseling, workplace social counseling |
| Share of insured affected by mental health conditions | 7.2% of insured members | Integrate early-detection systems into leadership training |
| Healthcare sector vs. industry average | 34% more sick days due to mental health conditions than average | Sector-specific GBPsych recommended |
What is the DAK Psychreport 2025 — and what isn't it?
Important note upfront: This article discusses German law and German statutory health insurance (GKV) data. The DAK Psychreport 2025 cited here is a regional analysis for Rhineland-Palatinate. The figures (364 sick days per 100 insured, 35-day case duration, 7.2% affected share) are RLP-specific and cannot be directly applied to other German states or the national average.
What the Psychreport shows: DAK analyzes the sick-leave data of its insured working members in RLP exclusively for the area of mental health conditions. This provides deep insight into diagnosis patterns, industry differences, and case-duration trends — for the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
Transferability: the structural patterns (depression as the most common single diagnosis, a long average case duration, a rise in anxiety disorders) are consistent with nationwide reports. For nationwide statements, the TK Health Report (5 million insured members nationwide) or the BAuA trend report “Arbeitswelt im Wandel” (Working World in Transition) is better suited.
Why are mental health conditions particularly relevant for BEM?
At an average of 35 days per case in RLP, mental health conditions last particularly long — longer individual cases quickly exceed the six-week threshold. This is directly relevant to BEM (company integration management) for employers: under German law, if an employee has been unable to work for more than six weeks within one year, continuously or repeatedly (§ 167 (2) SGB IX), the employer must offer them BEM — regardless of diagnosis.
A special consideration for mental health conditions: BEM must be conducted with sensitivity. Data protection and voluntariness require particular care here — BEM only takes place with the consent of the person concerned, and diagnoses do not belong in the personnel file. HR professionals should use specially trained conversation techniques for mental health-related sick leave cases.
GBPsych as prevention: the psychological hazard assessment (§ 5 ArbSchG) is the mandatory preventive measure under German law. Employers who fail to conduct a GBPsych increase the risk of mental health conditions in their workforce — and with it the volume of BEM cases. There is also a risk of fines: up to €30,000 (§ 25 ArbSchG) if an order of the supervisory authority is not complied with.
What protects against mental health conditions at work?
Consistent protective factors against mental health conditions in the workplace: leadership quality (healthy leadership), social integration (team structure, community), and scope for action (autonomy at work). In several studies, these three factors are among the most important protective factors for mental health — regardless of the specific condition.
For remote employees: increased isolation risk in fully remote teams is well documented. Countermeasures: virtual social formats, regular check-ins, peer-support structures. This is not an optional extra but part of GBPsych measure planning under § 5 ArbSchG.
- Leadership training: leadership quality is considered an important protective factor against mental health-related sick leave
- GBPsych for remote work: a dedicated hazard assessment is required
- Peer support and workplace social counseling: reduce isolation risk
- Stress management courses: as ZPP-certified prevention courses under § 20 SGB V, they can be subsidized by statutory health insurers
- Early detection: train managers to recognize the first warning signs
Related measures & topics
Key takeaways
- DAK Psychreport 2025 = regional analysis for Rhineland-Palatinate (NOT transferable nationwide).
- 364 sick days per 100 insured due to mental health conditions in RLP (+5% vs. prior year).
- Average case duration: 35 days — just below the six-week BEM threshold; long individual cases exceed it.
- Depression (F32/F33): 203 sick days per 100 insured — most common single diagnosis in RLP.
- For nationwide statements on mental health conditions: the TK Health Report (5 million insured members); for the national average sickness rate, the official KM1 statistics of the German Federal Ministry of Health (2025: 5.66%, German figures).
Frequently asked questions
Does the DAK Psychreport 2025 only apply to RLP?+
This specific report is a regional analysis for Rhineland-Palatinate. The structural patterns (depression dominant, long case duration) are consistent nationwide, but the concrete figures (364 sick days per 100 insured, 7.2% affected share) are RLP-specific. For nationwide arguments, use the TK Health Report or the BAuA trend report instead.
Does the DAK report only apply to employees insured with DAK?+
Methodologically, yes — it's based on DAK billing data in RLP. However, the trends (rising mental health conditions, average sick-leave duration) hold true across statutory health insurers. TK, BARMER, and other statutory health insurance funds show similar patterns in their regional analyses. The Psychreport is a useful argumentation aid for employers in RLP.
What is the difference between the DAK Psychreport and the TK Health Report?+
Focus: the DAK Psychreport concentrates exclusively on mental health conditions. The TK Health Report is broader and covers all causes of sick leave. Data scope: TK (5 million insured members nationwide) has a larger data base. The DAK Psychreport is the deeper source for mental health-specific analyses — with longitudinal data spanning many years.
How do I use the DAK Psychreport for my WHP board report?+
Three ways to use it (RLP-specific): (1) Benchmark: “Our sickness rate for mental health conditions — the DAK average in RLP is 364 sick days per 100 insured.” (2) Case duration: “Mental health-related sick leave lasts an average of 35 days in RLP — which brings the six-week BEM threshold close quickly.” (3) Measures: “We're investing in leadership training and GBPsych because both tackle the causes of mental health-related sick leave.”
Systematically Identify and Reduce Psychological Stress
EasyWHP guides you through the GBPsych, monitors BEM deadlines and plans measures against psychological stress — documented in one place, even without an in-house WHP specialist.
Sources
- DAK Psychreport 2025 Rhineland-Palatinate ↗
- § 167 SGB IX — BEM Obligation ↗
- § 5 ArbSchG — Psychological Hazard Assessment ↗
- German Federal Ministry of Health — KM1 statistics January to December 2025 (sickness rate, annual mean 5.66%) ↗
Last updated: 2026-06-27. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.