Mental Health Among Leading Causes of Employee Short-Term Disability Claims

A recent workforce absence trends brief from Sedgwick, “Looking Back to Look Forward: 2025 Workforce Absence Trends and 2026 Outlook,” has identified mental health conditions as one of the leading drivers of employee short-term disability claims.

While pregnancy remains the top cause of short-term disability among workers under age 45, mental health and substance use conditions are now close behind and rising across multiple age groups. For employees ages 35–44, mental health claims are nearly equivalent to pregnancy-related claims and are projected to surpass them. Increases are also evident among younger workers and those ages 55+, signaling a broadening workforce impact.

The brief underscores that traditional employer responses—such as referrals to Employee Assistance Programs alone—are no longer sufficient, particularly amid ongoing behavioral health workforce shortages. Employers are being pushed to adopt more comprehensive mental health strategies, including expanded accommodations, stigma reduction, holistic benefits, and integrated leave and disability supports. The report frames mental health not only as a clinical concern but as a central workforce and productivity issue that will continue shaping disability costs, benefit design, and organizational planning in the years ahead.

Read the full report here.