Mental illness in Victorian workplaces is becoming an increasingly challenging area for employers, a new report reveals.
There has been an increase in the number of workers making mental injury claims in the 2016-17 financial year, according to Worksafe's annual report, released on Thursday.
"Twenty per cent of Australians are expected to experience a mental health condition each year, making mental health an issue for workplaces," the report says.
"(It) is an increasingly challenging area for employers across the state to manage."
Mental illness presents more complex challenges than a physical injury, especially when it comes to returning to work, the report read.
Forty-five per cent of workers with a mental injury are not back at work within six months of lodging a claim, compared with about 18 per cent of workers with a physical injury.
Because of this, Worksafe was unable to reach its annual return-to-work target of 80.53 per cent.
Worksafe says it will launch a new program later in 2017 to focus on making mental wellbeing a "priority for everyone".
