Canadian employees who are on long-term disability leave are two-times more likely to claim for a chronic disease medication related to a secondary condition and three-times more likely to claim for medication treating two or more symptoms than those who aren’t on LTD, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc.
The report analyzed drug claims data from more than 1.5 million plan members who are on LTD. It found among plan members who were on LTD for circulatory conditions, 39 per cent submitted claims for mental-health drugs and 35 per cent submitted a claim for diabetes medication.
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Similarly, nearly half (47 per cent) of employees on LTD due to cancer submitted a claim for cardiovascular medication and 18 per cent submitted a claim for diabetes drugs. Half (49 per cent) of employees on LTD for musculoskeletal conditions submitted a claim for mental-health medication and 23 per cent made a claim for diabetes medication.
Mental-health issues accounted for 40 per cent of LTD claims and women (45 per cent) were more likely than men (33 per cent) to make a mental-health claim. Among employees younger than age 40 who made an LTD claim, more than half cited mental health as the reason.
The percentage of LTD claims related to mental health will likely increase as Canadians continue to struggle with mental-health issues, the report noted. Indeed, it found diagnoses of depression and anxiety-related disorders have increased by 33 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, since 2020, while 40 per cent of Canadians said they’ve received a mental-health diagnosis in their lifetime.
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