Mental health statistics we should all be aware of

Gaining a deeper understanding of the workplace mental health landscape can help guide you as to which next steps are best for your organisation to take to ensure the continued mental health of your employees. Since the global pandemic, conversations around burnout, boundary-setting and workforce disengagement have increasingly shaped workplace discussions. What these discussions have done is expose the clear link between mental health and the workplace. 

Along with our wellbeing partner, Champion Health, we’ve looked at the mental health statistics we should all be aware of to understand the importance of workplace mental health for employee performance and continued health in the workplace and beyond.

In a working world that continues to evolve, economically, digitally and culturally, it is vitally important we are looking after our personal mental health. We need to start looking at mental health in the same way we look at physical health. In the same way, we know to exercise our bodies, feed them nutrients and sleep for physical health, we need to start treating our mental health with the same attitude and respect. That goes for understanding that our colleagues, friends and family should do the same!

While many of use wouldn't think twice about taking time off to recover from a physical illness or injury, more working days are now lost to stress, depression and anxiety than any other category of work-related ill health.

According to the latest data from the Health and Safety Executive, stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 22.9 million working days lost in Great Britain in 2024/5, with around 964,000 workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxiety in that year alone [1].

The Mental Health Foundation also highlights the continued impact of poor mental health on workforce retention and performance. Separately, Deloitte’s most recent UK Mental Health and Employers report found that poor mental health costs UK employers approximately £51 billion per year, through absence, presenteeism and turnover. Presenteeism, where employees attend work despite struggling, leading to reduced productivity, accounts for around £24 billion of these costs annually [2].

Due to continued stigma, mental health issues are often underestimated, leading employers to overlook their impact. Mind reports that 1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health problem each year, and at any given time, around 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression [3].

More recent NHS data shows that around 1 in 5 adults in England are currently living with a common mental health condition, with rates rising among young adults aged 16–24 to close to 1 in 4 [4]. National statistics also show that mental ill health remains one of the leading causes of economic inactivity in the UK, with long-term mental health conditions contributing significantly to people leaving the workforce [5]. 

Research consistently shows that mental health significantly impacts working life - affecting concentration, productivity and confidence, and that employees experiencing poor mental health are more likely to consider leaving their role.

Many of the same techniques we use for physical health, like exercise, good sleep habits and a good diet are equally as good for positive mental health. Adding in techniques like mindfulness and breath work which you can do for as little as 5-10 minutes a day can be very beneficial. It is also vitally important that we start to talk about mental health openly at home and in the workplace, ensuring that if things are getting too difficult, that you get help from a trained professional to help in the early stages and before things become overwhelming.

When investigating figures by industry, the tech industry has the most demanding hours and 54% of employees based in the UK work more on weekends and evenings than before the pandemic, a trend which negatively impacts their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance [5]. 86% of organisations in the finance industry saw an increase in demand for mental health support in 2021, among the highest sectors surveyed by Koa Health in their Mental Health in the UK Finance Industry Fact Sheet [6]. Negative stigma around mental health is most prevalent in the construction and engineering industries, with 45% of workers needing to take time off due to poor mental wellbeing and 30% of employees reporting to take annual leave to avoid questions and embarrassment around this [7]. Deloitte’s UK mental health report 2024, Mental Health and Employers: The case for employers to invest in supporting working parents and a mentally healthy workplace, showed that poor mental health among employees cost UK employers around £51 billion annually. This marks a decrease from £56 billion in 2021, but remains higher than the £45 billion reported in 2019. Notably, presenteeism - where employees attend work despite mental health challenges, leading to reduced productivity - accounts for around £24 billion of these costs each year. [8].

Based on the findings above it’s clear that there is room for employers to provide additional support to improve the mental wellbeing of their employees. Deloitte’s mental health report found that for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employer on average get £4.70 back in increased productivity. [9]

Wellness platforms have revolutionised the management of mental and physical wellbeing, Champion Health is the preferred platform for Healix Health members as it covers all areas of wellbeing and supports employees through a customised wellbeing action plan to ensure employees make marked improvements in the areas they need inside and outside of work. 

Champion Health's approach to mental wellbeing is simple:
 

It should be personalised and about the whole person. For some, poor mental health can be something they have been living with for quite some time. For others, this can be quite acute and in the moment due to workplace stress or perhaps something difficult outside of work like a bereavement. The Champion approach is to ensure that we understand the individual and then create a personalised based on these needs. Perhaps someone needs financial support, for others, it might be pain or injury management. Both of these issues can affect mental health and that is why our platform and app supports all areas of wellbeing in one place. For companies looking to manage employee wellbeing better, as well as this personalised experience for their people, the company gets to understand what is really going on in their business with our data analytics leadership hub.

Take the next step in supporting your employees' wellbeing

Investing in your employees' mental and physical health is not just a compassionate choice - it's a strategic one. Healix Health offers flexible and cost-effective healthcare trust solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes and budgets. Whether you're a small business looking for an affordable digital healthcare option, or a larger organisation aiming for comprehensive, bespoke benefits, we can help you build a solution that supports your people and your business.