Poland spent over 57 billion złoty on mental health disability benefits in 2024, with psychological disorders leading the statistics.
Record Spending on Mental Health Disabilities
The Polish state spent over 57 billion złoty on benefits related to inability to work in 2024, according to a report published last year by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). Mental and behavioral disorders took the first place of dishonor, noticeably outpacing the rest of the categories at 17.7 percent.
Global Warning on Mental Health Costs
European and international organizations have long drawn attention to the costs borne by the economy in caring for people suffering from depression or schizophrenia. However, these diseases primarily pose a real threat to life, as confirmed by studies published in 2025 in the renowned journal “The Lancet Regional Health–Europe”.
Reduced Lifespan for Mentally Ill
According to these studies, mental illness significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and complications in existing ones. It was also determined that people with severe mental disorders live on average 10-20 years less than the average lifespan in the population.
Prevention as the Most Effective Solution
The most effective and cheapest way to combat these disorders is prevention. This has also been understood by Polish MPs, who announced last autumn that 2026 would be the Year of Health Prevention. The authors of the resolution state that “the growing number of civilization diseases, premature deaths due to heart disease, cancer, diabetes or depression – all this shows that the healthcare system needs not only treatment, but above all effective prevention”.
