It’s Not 1 in 4; It’s All of Us

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2 Jan 2020

ILO Global Business and Disability Network member Accenture showcases insights on mental health challenges in the workplace with an update to their 2018 UK survey, Nine in 10 UK Workers. In partnership with This Can Happen, the new survey, It’s Not 1 in 4; It’s All of Us, reveals that 92% of all workers have been touched by mental health challenges.

The Survey – It’s All of Us

The stats in the survey are eye-opening and reveal the importance of employers creating a supportive, open culture around mental health to make a significant difference to the way employees feel and their ability to thrive. Younger workers in the UK are more likely to have had recent mental health challenges than their more senior colleagues and nearly half (48%) of young workers said they have experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings compared to 35% of older workers. Despite having more experience of mental health challenges, younger workers find it more difficult to talk about their own mental health than more senior colleagues. 45% of younger workers hold back because of not having the language to express how they feel, versus 22% of older workers.

“It’s clear that many young people face challenges with their mental health before they enter the workforce and while working, and that they are affected more often than their senior peers,” said Barbara Harvey, managing director and mental health lead for Accenture UK. “Therefore, mental health must be a priority issue for employers. Businesses need to look at how they can create an open, supportive work environment which enables employees of all ages to look after their mental health, support one another, and perform at their best.”

In companies that create a supportive and open culture, the incidence of employees with recent or current experience of a mental health challenge was lower; this was especially true for younger workers with 41% having recent experience in more supportive companies, and 65% in the less supportive cultures.  Employees in more supportive cultures were 4 times more likely to say that work positively impacted their mental health.

“With this survey we hope that many employers will examine their recruitment, induction and management styles to support younger members of their workforce,” comments Zoe Sinclair, Co-founder of This Can Happen.

Contact:

Annemarie.Reed@accenture.com

Tanya.Boland@accenture.com