This is reflected in the report “The Socioeconomic Burden of Insomnia in Adults”, prepared by the international non-profit research organization RAND Europe in collaboration with Indorsia. 15% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia.
The purpose of the study is focused on studying the consequences of insomnia. in addition to its impact on health and public health.
Study in 16 countries
Thus, he analyzes the consequences of this disorder in relation to non-health indirect economic costs and intangible assets that are not found directly in economic transactions, but that affect the health or well-being of an individual. .-.
And it happens in 16 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
According to the report, 50% of working-age adults have symptoms of insomnia, a total of 172 million people; up to 25% – clinical insomnia (72 million); and 15% – chronic insomnia (42 million people), its most severe form.
Economic consequences of insomnia
And insomnia has an economic impact every year due to loss of productivity at work, because adults who suffer from it, are more prone to absenteeism from work and hence they do not give the same.
Specifically, the report details that, in indirect cost terms, chronic insomnia was associated with 11–18 days of absenteeism, 39–45 days of absenteeism, and 44–54 days of total lost productivity per year.
Thus, the indirect costs of this disorder associated with the loss of labor productivity is between 1,600 and 185,000 million euros, which amounts to a total of 372,000 million euros) of gross domestic product (GDP).
And annual intangible welfare losses from 1,300 to 113,300 million euros (total 213,600 million euros) in the 16 countries analyzed.
In the case of Spain, the loss of annual labor productivity will amount to 10,703 million euros.
At the same time, the economic projections of the study show that addressing the consequences of insomnia through a policy of “prevention, education, routine diagnosis and early treatment” will increase labor productivity, which will have a positive impact on GDP.
The need for restful sleep
Research has also looked at the intangible costs of insomnia. as it is associated with a deterioration in the quality of life.
So, according to the document, adults suffering from insomnia are willing to give up 14% of their annual per capita income in exchange for receiving the same degree of satisfaction with their lives as those who do not suffer from it.
In this sense, Dr. Carmen Bellido Cambron, coordinator of the Alianza por el Sueño labor, economics and business group, notes that for proper occupational health “Employees need quality restful sleep.”
Bellido, who is also a researcher and coordinator for the Occupational Risk Prevention Service at Castellón Hospital, is replete with the fact that there is a “bidirectional relationship between sleep and work.”
“If you don’t sleep well at night, you won’t be productive during the day and will be more prone to absenteeism from work, you will have up to 88% more chance of accidents at work and on the road, you will reduce your productivity. , your job satisfaction will decrease, you will become a source of conflict with colleagues at work and, without realizing it, will harm your physical and mental health, ”the researcher emphasizes.
But also lack of sleep affects the irritability, resilience, emotional management or conflict management of an employee at work, significant impact on the organization as a whole, Bellido continues.
Strategies to counter it
“Any intervention to reduce insomnia, whether at the level of primary, secondary or tertiary prevention, will make a big difference to public health and organizations, and will also improve the health and well-being of employees. Creating prevention programs for this occupational risk is key for organizations,” says the expert.
The study highlights the need for a number of strategies at the political level, research and clinical practice to mitigate and alleviate the effects of this disorder.
Among these are the inclusion of sleep in national health strategies, the promotion of public health campaigns that emphasize the importance of adequate sleep hygiene, and the introduction of systematic early detection of insomnia at routine doctor visits through screening.
In addition, he advocates the creation of coordinated protocols between different levels of care to ensure that patients have timely access to diagnosis and treatment.
All of this combined with “state of the art” teaching of the disorder in medical schools, as well as providing access and reimbursement for safe, evidence-based pharmacological innovations.