A recent report from the Mental Health Foundation has revealed that 1 in 5 workers in the UK is now facing poor mental health.
This equates to 7.2 million people across the country, and an increase of 66% – or 2.9 million people – since 2009.
The Mental Health Foundation says that factors such as financial hardship, economic inactivity, job insecurity, inaccessible and inflexible work, and the nature and quality of work itself are all contributing to an increase in poor mental health.
The Foundation Reports: Employment and mental health inequality reveals that poor mental health among workers has risen sharply in the last 15 years, reversing progress that was previously made on workplace wellbeing.
Based on Mental Health Foundation analysis of the Understanding Society dataset, it explores the experiences of around 40,000 individuals over time to look at how people’s mental health and working lives have changed.
One of its key findings was the fact that 1 in 5 UK workers (22%) were experiencing poor mental health in 2024.
Work itself is driving rising rates of poor mental health
The Foundation also found that work itself is increasing contributing to poor mental health in the UK.
Around 1 in 6 workers (17%) report feeling stressed or unhappy because of their job the majority of the time. This equates to 5.6 million people and shows a reversal of previous progress on work-related stress; back in 2018-19 fewer than 15% of workers felt this way.
He explained:
“Poor mental health can impact relationships in work and at home and often go hand-in-hand with poor physical health, affecting a person’s overall quality of life. This also has a knock-on effect for employers who may see lower engagement, higher levels of sickness absence and reduced productivity from workers.”
Cost of living crisis linked to poor mental health
The report also found that financial hardship in the workplace has risen sharply.
The cost-of-living crisis is linked with worsening outcomes for workers’ mental health. The report reveals that more than 1 in 10 workers (11%) now experience financial hardship. This proportion has doubled in the last decade and is now at its highest level since records began in 2009.
Many workers also became more dissatisfied with their income (43%). Despite being employed, workers are still experiencing ongoing stress and uncertainty about paying their bills, managing their household costs and maintaining a basic standard of living.
The Foundation says that financial insecurity is a major risk factor for poor mental health, because when workers “feel unable to meet their basic needs or plan confidently for the future, it can undermine feelings of stability and wellbeing.”
Increase in poor mental health ‘not experienced equally’
The report also found that workforce mental health inequalities are widening, with those who already face a high risk of poor mental health also experiencing some of the worst outcomes in the labour market.
This finding is supported by The state of mental health inequality in the UK report, released in June 2026, which stated that the increase in poor mental health in the UK “has not been experienced equally across all communities, leading to widening mental health inequalities within and between the four nations.”
Young people, people with disabilities and those living with long-term health conditions all report high levels of poor workplace wellbeing.
Younger workers can be particularly impacted by economic inactivity, shrinking entry-level job opportunities, rising job insecurity and cost-of-living affordability pressures. Together, these impact young people’s ability to enter and progress in the workforce.
Meanwhile, people with disabilities and long-term health conditions can face significant structural barriers to entering the workforce and progressing in their roles. These barriers include inaccessible or inflexible job opportunities, stigma and discrimination, and these same issues can contribute to poor mental health.
Intergeneration consequences of mental health challenges
Lone parents were also found to experience additional challenges at work.
Around 1 in 4 working lone parents face financial hardship as well as the stress and difficulties of balancing work and parenting and experiencing stigma and discrimination.
The report says these challenges can have “intergeneration consequences,” with not just lone parents, but also their children, facing poor mental health and socioeconomic outcomes.
Mark Rowland writes:
“Our report details real-life experiences, with contributions from vulnerable groups providing a powerful picture of how mental health inequalities continue to shape people’s experiences of work. For many individuals, the barriers they face impact their physical and mental health, access to opportunity and inclusion in the workforce.”
Poor mental health is preventable
As well as highlighting the key issues relating to poor workplace mental health in the UK, the report also makes clear that it is “preventable and early intervention, vital.”
They say that research in this area consistently finds that good quality, fulfilling work is actually protective of our mental health. Indeed, good work can safeguard us against other key risk factors for poor mental health by providing us with financial security, a sense of purpose and connection with others. In addition, the longer a person is absent from work, the worse it is for mental health outcomes.
It’s therefore key that employers can identify emerging problems early and are able to provide appropriate support and take preventative action.
Actions to prevent poor mental health at work and create healthier workplaces include:
- Ensuring secure employment and fair pay
- Building strong relationships
- Implementing reasonable adjustments to help people remain and thrive in work
- Providing proactive support during periods of absence
- Honest and clear management
- Positive workplace cultures where workers feel valued and trusted
- Establishing an open dialogue about mental health
These factors can build “psychological safety,” which the Mental Health Foundation says is associated with “stronger productivity and morale in the workplace.”
In their report, conversations with workplace leaders and people with lived experience set out clear recommendations to reverse the trend of declining workplace mental health. The charity talks of a “new social contract” between employers and the UK government to incentivise the actions above in order to “benefit people, businesses and the wider economy.”
Training and support for mental health at work
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety and Phobias Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.
They can also provide qualified, approved trainers to deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, including the Adult, Youth and Lite versions.
A trainer from FRT says:
“We believe in creating safer working environments with people who care. This is our vision and central to our services. It means providing training that helps to protect people’s physical and mental health, safety and welfare. This is paramount for enabling people to live and work well, and enabling businesses to succeed.
“For a long time now, the volume has been turned up on conversations about mental health at work, and awareness has been increasing, but, at the same time, mental health and wellbeing appears to worse than ever.
“There is clearly much work to do, and we hope that organisations across the UK can really sharpen their focus on mental health at work and implement support measures and proactive initiatives to promote positive wellbeing.”
Helpful resources to address poor mental health
A brief summary of our mental health training can now be downloaded as an infographic.
We also have a number of other free infographics available to download which provide simple tips for helping to manage your mental and emotional wellbeing and proactively manage your stress levels. These include:
- Manage Your Stress
- Support Your Mental Health
- Connect With Nature
- Work Well From Home
- Anxiety Factsheet
- Manage Your Anxiety
- Managing Panic Attacks
You can also download our free Guide to Mental Health Training from our website.
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.