Sick Leave for Mental Illness

The plan explicitly states that psychological ill-health is increasing particularly among women without leading to expanded care, and requires a humane sickness insurance with quick help also for burnout. The counter-proposal's requirement for more knowledge about rehabilitation, early signs and suicide prevention with a focus on women's health is in line with that commitment. The committee's assessment that nothing is needed goes against the plan's problem picture.

• psychological ill-health requires expanded caredecisive»Stressrelaterade sjukdomar blir allt vanligare och psykisk ohälsa ökar särskilt bland kvinnor och hos unga utan att det leder till utbyggd vård eller förändrad arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stress-related illnesses are becoming increasingly common and psychological ill-health is increasing particularly among women and young people without leading to expanded care or changed working environment.”
• humane sickness insurance»Vänsterpartiet vill se en mänsklig sjukförsäkring och ett slut på utförsäkrandet av sjuka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to see a humane sickness insurance and an end to people being taken off insurance.”
• quick help even for burnout»Du ska ha rätt till hjälp snabbt oavsett om du har brutit benet eller blivit utbränd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“You shall have the right to help quickly regardless of whether you have broken a bone or become burnt out.”
• strong social insurance»Vi vill se starka försäkringar som skapar trygghet för var och en under« (party programme ↗)“We want to see strong insurance that creates security for everyone”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto establishes that in case of illness greater economic security is needed and that anyone too ill to work shall be able to rely on sickness insurance. Increased knowledge about rehabilitation, early signs and suicide prevention strengthens exactly that confidence. To specifically raise women's mental health follows the party programme's feminist basic stance. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's requirement.

• economic security in illnessdecisive»Också vid sjukdom är det nödvändigt med större ekonomisk trygghet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Also in case of illness is greater economic security necessary.”
• trust in sickness insurance»vi slår vakt om principen att den som är för sjuk för att arbeta ska kunna lita på sjukförsäkringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“we guard the principle that anyone too ill to work shall be able to rely on sickness insurance”
• improved sickness benefits»Vi ska säkra rätten till personlig assistans och arbeta vidare med förslagen om att förbättra sjukersättningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall secure the right to personal assistance and continue work on proposals to improve sickness benefits.”
• feminist basic stance»Med denna grundsyn är socialdemokratin ett feministiskt parti.« (party programme ↗)“With this basic stance, the social democrats are a feminist party.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants to invest in primary care and increase access to mental health care and change sickness insurance so that it provides better security during sick leave. The party programme also establishes that equal care regardless of sex should be self-evident. The counter-proposal's requirement for increased knowledge about rehabilitation, women's mental health and suicide prevention follows from these commitments.

• care for mental healthdecisive»satsa på primärvården och öka tillgången till vård för psykisk ohälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest in primary care and increase access to mental health care.”
• safer sickness insurance»förändra sjukförsäkringen så den ger bättre trygghet vid sjukskrivning och se till att människor inte bollas mellan myndigheter när de behöver samhällets stöd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“change sickness insurance so that it provides better security during sick leave and ensure that people are not passed between agencies when they need society's support.”
• mental health prioritised»Den psykiska ohälsan växer, och leder till stort lidande.« (party programme ↗)“Mental health problems are increasing, and lead to great suffering.”
• equal care regardless of sex»Likvärdig vård oberoende av kön och socioekonomiska faktorer borde vara en självklarhet.« (party programme ↗)“Equal care regardless of sex and socioeconomic factors should be self-evident.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto explicitly commits to doing more to prevent, counter and rehabilitate stress-related mental illness and to make sick leave more flexible. The party also wants to invest in research on stress-related mental illness and strengthen gender medicine expertise, with the goal that women and men receive equally good care. The counter-proposal's requirement for increased knowledge about rehabilitation with particular focus on women's mental health is directly in line with these commitments.

• better rehabilitation for mental illnessdecisive»Gör mer för att förebygga, motverka och rehabilitera stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa. Vi vill göra sjukskrivningen mer flexibel och förbättra rehabiliteringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Do more to prevent, counter and rehabilitate stress-related mental illness. We want to make sick leave more flexible and improve rehabilitation.”
• research on women's health»Vi vill satsa på forskning om kvinnosjukdomar, den stressrelaterade psykiska ohälsan och stärka den genusmedicinska kompetensen inom vården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to invest in research on women's diseases, stress-related mental illness, and strengthen gender medicine expertise in healthcare.”
• equal care»Kvinnor och män ska få lika bra vård. Det borde vara en självklarhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Women and men shall receive equally good care. This should be self-evident.”
• strengthened support for mental illness»Stödet för personer med psykisk ohälsa måste förbättras, inte minst för unga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Support for people with mental illness must be improved, not least for young people.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan establishes that the right to care and treatment is equally self-evident for mental as for physical illness and that treatment and rehabilitation shall be provided on scientific grounds. It also wants the gender equality perspective to be developed in healthcare. Increased knowledge about effective rehabilitation, women's mental health and suicide prevention in sickness insurance work thus follows from the plan's commitments.

• mental care equateddecisive»Rätten till vård och behandling är lika självklar för både fysiska och psykiska sjukdomar.« (party programme ↗)“The right to care and treatment is equally self-evident for both physical and mental illnesses.”
• evidence-based rehabilitation»Vård, behandling och rehabilitering av fysiska och psykiska sjukdomar ska ges på vetenskaplig« (party programme ↗)“Care, treatment and rehabilitation of physical and mental illnesses shall be provided on scientific”
• equal healthcare»Jämställdhetsperspektivet ska utvecklas i hälso- och sjukvården.« (party programme ↗)“The gender equality perspective shall be developed in healthcare.”
• security in illness»Sjukförsäkringen ska ge ekonomisk trygghet vid både kortvarig och kronisk sjukdom« (party programme ↗)“Sickness insurance shall provide economic security for both short-term and chronic illness”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan binds social insurance to actively support return to working life and requires that healthcare consciously addresses differences between women and men. The counter-proposal's requirement for knowledge of effective rehabilitation measures, especially regarding women's mental health, aligns with both of these commitments. That the right to life is the foundation for other rights furthermore speaks to a suicide prevention focus.

• rehabilitation to workdecisive»Nivåerna på ersättningarna ska utformas så att den enskilde stimuleras att delta i åtgärder som leder till så god hälsa som möjligt och återgång till arbetslivet.« (party programme ↗)“The levels of compensation shall be designed so that the individual is encouraged to participate in measures that lead to the best possible health and return to working life.”
• gender differences in healthcare»Vården måste medvetet beakta skillnader mellan kvinnor och män.« (party programme ↗)“Healthcare must consciously address differences between women and men.”
• accessible psychiatric care»Psykiatrisk vård och omsorg ska präglas av tillgänglighet och flexibilitet utifrån patientens behov.« (party programme ↗)“Psychiatric care and support shall be characterized by accessibility and flexibility based on the patient's needs.”
• the inviolability of life»Rätten till liv är den grundläggande förutsättningen för övriga mänskliga rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“The right to life is the fundamental prerequisite for other human rights.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan promises a national strategy against suicide and particularly points out that women are on sick leave at higher rates than men. It also wants to strengthen research on diseases affecting women and improve early diagnosis using digital decision support. The counter-proposal's demands for a suicide-prevention focus, knowledge of early signs and special focus on women's mental health therefore align with the plan's commitments.

• national suicide prevention strategydecisive»Ta fram en nationell strategi mot självmord, med särskilt fokus på barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Draw up a national strategy against suicide, with particular focus on children and young people”
• knowledge about women's health»Stärka forskningen gällande sjukdomar som drabbar kvinnor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen research on diseases affecting women”
• women's high sick leave rates»Kvinnor i Sverige förvärvsarbetar fortfarande i lägre utsträckning än män och är sjukskrivna i högre utsträckning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Women in Sweden still participate in the workforce at lower rates than men and are on sick leave at higher rates.”
• early diagnosis through decision support»Förbättra möjligheterna att ställa tidigare diagnoser, bland annat med hjälp av digitala beslutsstöd och strukturerade arbetssätt med till exempel riskprofilering« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve opportunities for earlier diagnosis, among other things with the help of digital decision support and structured working methods such as risk profiling”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto explicitly requires that sickness and work injury insurance be better adapted for those with mental health problems and that more resources be allocated to preventive work and rehabilitation. The party also wants to appoint a national coordinator for suicide prevention and see standardized follow-up of those at risk of suicide. The counter-proposal's demands for knowledge about rehabilitation and a suicide preventive focus are thus in line with the plan.

• adapted insurance for mental healthdecisive»Bättre anpassa sjuk och arbetsskadeförsäkring för dem med psykisk ohälsa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Better adapt sickness and work injury insurance for those with mental health problems”
• more rehabilitation»Se ökat fokus och mer resurser på förebyggande arbete samt rehabilitering« (2022 manifesto ↗)“See increased focus and more resources on preventive work and rehabilitation”
• suicide prevention»Tillsätta en nationell samordnare med ansvar för suicidprevention« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appoint a national coordinator responsible for suicide prevention”
• knowledge and decision support»Likaså måste regelverket inom sjukförsäkringen bättre anpassas både vad gäller kunskap och beslutsstöd när det kommer till psykisk ohälsa och komplexa diagnoser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Likewise, the regulations within sickness insurance must be better adapted both in terms of knowledge and decision support when it comes to mental health and complex diagnoses.”