SICK LEAVES CAUSED BY PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES IN SPAIN DURING 2011 Background: Psychiatric and mood disorders may hamper the efficiency of workers and cause absenteeism. Material and methods: Revision of sick leaves related to schizophrenia, bipolar diseases, anxiety, depression and adaptive disorders that were granted in Spain in the period January- December 2011. The mean number of days off work for each disease and the costs per each labor day lost were calculated. Results: The total number of labor days lost for schizophrenia, bipolar diseases and mood disorders were 72,831, 899,107 and 3,666,055 days, respectively. The mean duration of sick leaves for the same diagnoses were 84, 100 and 64 days/year respectively. The total indirect costs of sick leaves for psychiatric diseases during 2011 were € 100 million approximately, corresponding to 4% of costs for all diseases. Conclusions: The high costs of absenteeism derived from psychiatric diseases should prompt measures to promote a better adaptation to work environments of people suffering these ailments.