Mental Health Research

Mental Health Research

A third of UK employees feel unsure about who to talk to or where to find help or support regarding mental health issues. In addition, nearly 40 per cent find it hard to talk to or open up about their mental health to anyone, according to new research released today.

The findings, were from the ‘Mental Resilience’ survey conducted by health insurer Westfield Health.  According to the research, 32 per cent of employees feel they were treated differently by their line manager after returning to work following absence related to mental ill health, and 20 per cent also felt their fellow colleagues’ attitudes towards them had changed.

When asked how they were treated differently, responses included: “I felt that people were walking on egg shells around me which made me feel low and not want to speak to anyone” and “Due to the nature of my ill health colleagues were not sure how to approach me or what to say”.

In another recent survey from CV-Library revealed how over a third, 35.3%, of UK employees suffer with depression, with 41.7% saying they feel judged by their colleagues.

The survey was conducted amongst over 1,100 workers to explore mental health in the workplace. It revealed an unhealthy attitude towards depression, with 74.3% of those workers suffering admitting they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to their manager about their issues.

Furthermore, 70% of those dealing with depression at work confessed that they don’t feel supported by their employers. Flexible working, however, ranked as the top way that businesses can help those suffering to find a healthy balance between work and depression. The top five solutions were:

  • Flexible working (22.8%)
  • Reduced workloads (9.3%)
  • Access to counselling serviced (8.5%)
  • Additional time off (6.6%)
  • More breaks between tasks (6.6%)

In addition, 63.5% of workers wouldn’t give their depression as the reason for calling in sick, while 89.2% believe that disclosing depression in an interview would hinder their chances of getting the job.