1.3
Disability associated with MSDs and CMDs (international and Canadian)
In a global study, researchers estimated the prevalence and number of years lived with disability (YLD) for various causes, including musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and common mental disorders (CMDs). The study estimates that approximately 20% of the world’s population suffered from an MSD in 2019. In Canada, approximately 37% of the population suffered from a CMD. Regarding MSDs, 3.8% of the world’s population suffered from depression and 4.1% from anxiety during the year under study. In Canada, 3.7% of the population suffered from depression and 5.0% from anxiety
Prevalence and years lived with disability (YLD) data are from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD, 2019) study, coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). This is a global effort, with more than 5,000 researchers from 154 countries. The study estimates the burden of disease, injury, and risk factors at the global, regional, national, territorial, and sometimes subnational levels. The study results were published in The Lancet in October 2019 in “Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.” YLDs are years lived in a state of less than optimal functional health, whether temporary or permanent. They are estimated by taking the prevalence multiplied by the disability weight for that condition. Disability weights, which range from 0 (perfect functional health) to 1 (death), reflect the severity of health conditions resulting from the disease. They are developed using surveys of the general public by health experts.
With respect to MSDs:
- In 2019, there were 1.5 billion individuals who suffered an MSD during the year worldwide, or about 20.4% of the population. These MSDs caused the equivalent of 147 million YLDs, which represents 17.1% of all YLDs worldwide.
- In 2019, there were 12.6 million individuals with an MSD during the year in Canada, or approximately 36.8% of the population. These MSDs caused the equivalent of 1.3 million YLDs, or 25.9% of all YLDs.
- Both in Canada and globally, the prevalence of MSDs is higher among women and older individuals.
With respect to CMD:
- During 2019, 280 million individuals suffered from depression worldwide, or 3.8% of the population. This CMD generated the equivalent of 47 million ADLs, or 5.5% of all ADLs worldwide.
- In 2019, 1.3 million individuals experienced depression in Canada, or about 3.7% of the population. This CMD resulted in the equivalent of 211,000 ADLs, or 4.3% of all ADLs in Canada.
- In 2019, 301 million individuals suffered from anxiety worldwide, or about 4.1% of the population. This CMD generated the equivalent of 29 million ADLs, or 3.3% of all ADLs worldwide.
- In 2019, 1.7 million individuals experienced anxiety in Canada, or approximately 5.0% of the population. This CMD resulted in the equivalent of 161,000 ADLs, or 3.3% of all ADLs in Canada.
During 2019, 12.6 million Canadians suffered from an MSD, or about 37% of the population.
1.4
Disability in the broader sense (in Canada and Quebec)
Statistics Canada’s Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) assessed the presence and severity of ten distinct categories of disability related to difficulties or health problems that have lasted at least six months or that could last six months or more. It reveals that, during 2017, 16.0% of the Canadian labour force aged 25 to 64 suffered from a disability. In Quebec, 11.3% of the working population aged 25 to 64 had a disability during the year.
These disabilities are barriers to employment. CSD data show that about 59% of people aged 25 to 64 with disabilities reported being employed, compared to 80% of those without disabilities. These people with disabilities were more likely than those without disabilities to be unemployed (5.4% vs. 4.7%) or inactive (35% vs. 15%).
1.4.1
The following data are from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Survey on Disability (2017). The CSD is based on a social, rather than medical, model of disability. According to this model, disability results from the interaction of a person’s functional limitations and the barriers (social, physical, etc.) in their environment, making it difficult to carry out their daily activities (Turcotte, 2014).
This survey assesses the presence and severity of ten distinct categories of disability related to health difficulties or problems that have lasted for at least six months or may last six months or longer. The identification questions focus on consistency of measurement across disability categories. They cover the following disability categories: vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, mental/psychological disability, and memory.
1.4.2
Among the 25-64 year old population:
- In 2017 in Canada, 3,728,000 individuals aged 25-64 had a disability, representing 20.0% of this population (15.3% of 25-44 year olds vs. 24.3% of 45-64 year olds).
- In Quebec, there were 640,000 individuals aged 25-64 with a disability, for a prevalence of 14.8% (11.9% of 25-44 year olds vs. 17.3% of 45-64 year olds).
- About 59% of Canadians aged 25 to 64 with disabilities reported being employed, compared to 80% of those without disabilities.
- Canadians with disabilities were more likely than those without disabilities to be unemployed (5.4% versus 4.7%) or inactive (35.3% versus 15.2%).
Among the working population aged 25-64:
- Of the 3,728,000 Canadians aged 25 to 64 with disabilities, 2,412,000 reported being in the labour force (employed or unemployed). Their labour force participation rate is therefore 64.7% (vs. 84.8% of 25-64 year olds without disabilities). The prevalence of disability among working individuals aged 25-64 is 16.0%.
- Among the 640,000 Quebecers aged 25 to 64 with disabilities, 393,000 reported being active. Their labour force participation rate is therefore 61.3% (vs. 83.9% of 25 to 64 year-olds without disabilities). The prevalence of disability among working individuals aged 25 to 64 is 11.3%.
During 2017, about 59% of Canadians aged 25 to 64 with a disability reported being employed, compared to 80% for those without a disability.
1.5
Absence from work due to disability or illness (in Canada and Quebec)
The following data are from Statistics Canada’s 2020 Labour Force Survey (LFS). The survey asks workers who were absent from work during the reference week about the reasons and duration of their absence. Possible reasons include the “disability or illness” modality.
In Canada in 2020, 20,498,000 hours were lost each week due to “illness or disability” absence, regardless of the cause. That’s 880,900 employees who were absent for all or part of the week, for an average of 23.3 hours lost per employee.
In Quebec, 5,830,500 hours were lost by a total of 237,800 workers (24.5 hours lost on average).
It is estimated that 237,800 Quebecers are absent from work each week due to illness or disability, resulting in approximately 5.8 million lost hours per week.
It is estimated that 237,800 Quebecers are absent from work each week due to illness or disability, resulting in approximately 5.8 million lost hours per week
1.6
Frequency and severity of occupational injuries in Quebec
These data come from the Commission des normes, de l’équité et de la santé et de la sécurité au travail – CNESST (central and regional data depository). It concerns exclusively work-related disabilities. The statistics presented concern only injuries that resulted in compensated time loss.
Over the 2015-2016 period, there were an average of 65,100 accepted compensated time-loss injuries (CTLs) at CNESST. These injuries resulted in an average of 113 days away from work. The length of absence is about 10 times longer for cases that required rehabilitation, compared to cases that did not have rehabilitation (588 vs. 59 days). These same injuries generated approximately $3.7 billion in financial and human costs, borne by Quebec society as a whole, or $57,100 per injury (in 2016 dollars).
- In 2015-2016, an annual average of 65,100 injuries accepted by the CNESST resulted in compensated lost time. Of this total, approximately 24,300 involved women and 40,800 involved men.
- The average length of absence for these injuries is similar for men and women, at about 115 days for women and 112 days for men, but increases rapidly with advancing age (60 days per injury for 15-24 year olds to 150 days for those 55 and older). Furthermore, this average duration increased from 88 days per injury in 2006 to 113 days in 2015-2016, an increase of about 28% in 10 years.
- Occupational injuries requiring rehabilitation (10% of injuries) have an average absence duration of 588 days. For injuries without rehabilitation (90% of injuries), the average duration of absence is 59 days.
- Each CTL injury results in an average of $13,300 in disbursements to CNESST. Income replacement benefits (IRBs), the money paid to workers who are absent from work due to an employment injury, account for approximately 65% of these disbursements.
- Based on a methodology developed at the IRSST (Lebeau et al., 2013), it is estimated that these 65,100 injuries resulted in financial and human costs of approximately $3.7 billion (in 2016 dollars). These costs, which represent approximately 1.1% of Quebec’s gross domestic product (GDP), are borne by Quebec society as a whole. The average cost per injury is estimated at $57,100.
- The proportion of injuries with CTL resulting in permanent physical or psychological impairment (PIPI) is higher in men (15.6%) than in women (11.5%). In both cases, significant differences are recorded according to age. For women, this proportion goes from 4.8% for those aged 15-24 to 17.8% for those aged 55 and over; for men, the proportions for these same age groups are 8.9% and 23.0%.
- Of the 65,100 injuries with CTL, 1,040 were attributable to stress (1.6%) and 21,890 were attributable to an MSD (33.6%).
Compensated lost-time injuries generate approximately $3.7 billion in financial and human costs, or $57,100 per injury (in 2016 dollars).