Stop! Take a look around your office—around your business—one in every four people will have a mental illness at one point in their lives. And no, it isn't primarily the illnesses that are thought to be serious; schizophrenia, bipolar or borderline personality disorder. It could be the more ignored; depression, anxiety and plain old stress—or even a combination of all.

Thanks to the society we have been brought up in, mental health is a topic that is never quite discussed, a topic that, when spoken about it is done in low, hushed voices. It, therefore, makes perfect sense that we have been socialized, never to admit when we are struggling with our mental health, let alone what we are suffering from.

Mental health— 'mental wellness'— 'mental wellbeing' are all terms used to define how we feel emotionally but never entirely understood. You might be able to put one foot in front of the other every morning as you head on to work, but how are you coping with the workload, fellow employees, demanding bosses, deadlines or changes in the workplace? Can you genuinely say that you are okay?

Here is a couple of mental health issues that are prevalent in workplaces and businesses. 

Work-related stress

In simple terms, workplace stress is the overwhelming feeling you get when you have a lot on your plate. When an employee has deadlines to beat, has a ton of work to finish, and has an overbearing boss making it difficult for employees to cope.

The HSE describes it as, “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them.”

In 2020, there was an increase in stress-related absences compared to 2019 in a survey of U.K. organizations—accounting for 38 percent short-term absences and 48 percent of long-term absences.

The survey listed work-related politics as the number one cause for workplace stress—38 percent for women and 35 percent for men. Secondly, intrinsic work-performance pressure is also attributed to workplace stress, with around 30 percent for both men and women. 

If unresolved, work-related stress could progress into anxiety and depression—illnesses that could compromise a person's physical health. Stress-related diseases account for over 14.7 million U.S. dollars, approximately 12.7 million EUR, of healthcare expenditure per year in the U.K. With 5.54 million inpatient hospital admissions due to stress and 68,9 million G.P. appointments for the same, according to a survey carried out in 2019 in the UK.

Unfortunately, stress is never indeed classified as a mental health problem until it morphs into something far more serious.

Workplace Depression



Sadness, anxiety, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating, unexplained bouts of crying and loss of interest in activities a person once found joyous are just but a few symptoms of workplace depression—a workplace mental issue that over the years has become more prevalent.

According to statistics, one in every ten people at one point in their career will suffer from workplace depression. Depression could be a result of unresolved stress in the workplace, workplace bullying or work pressure. It isn’t to say that outside factors cannot contribute to workplace depression.

“Some employees will have pre-existing physical or mental health condition when recruited or may develop one caused by factors that are not work-related factors,” the HSE says.

A healthy workplace has to provide a safe space where employees can express their mental health without judgment. A survey of 2000 British Workers showed that employees were more comfortable discussing sex with fellow employees than their mental health. In fact, only 13 percent of all respondents felt comfortable discussing a mental health issue in the workplace. And worse still, a CV Library survey showed that 64 percent of employees feared being judged by their direct managers for discussing their mental health.

Workplace Anxiety



Very much like depression, workplace anxiety is a response to work or business-related stress, or it can be the impact of anxiety in the workplace. Stress and anxiety are not always outrightly wrong as they are part of normal neurological functioning. However, in excess, anxiety can affect not only a person's productivity but also their health.

In 2019/2020, the total number of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety was 828,000, a prevalence rate of 2,440 per 100,000 workers, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS).

The spike in mental health issues in 2020 can be in part be blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic. In April last year, there were higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to pre-pandemic conditions. While that level has dropped for some groups, some are still experiencing sustained distress and deterioration in mental health.

There are numerous causes of workplace anxiety such as toxic bosses, heavy workload, job insecurity, lack of direction, lack of fairness and extended office hours. The Labour Force Survey revealed that the leading cause for workplace stress and anxiety was tight deadlines, workload pressures, lack of managerial support and too much responsibility.

However, it wasn’t all bad, the pandemic introduced remote working, to the relief of those who hated daily commutes, reduced contact with troublesome colleagues and the relief of working in an environment that is familiar. 

The UK is in the middle of a mental health crisis, with mental health issues in the workplace and businesses rising year-over-year, with at least 89 percent of workers with mental health problems reporting an impact on their working life. The effects of which are being felt with staff turnover, sickness and lost productivity, costing U.K. employers £42 billion last year. 

As vaccination is ongoing and as the economy is in recovery, we will be heading back to the office. It might be good to interact with people in person again, but it might also get overwhelming—coping with the stress of working in the office again may be too much. The first thing you should remember is that you are not alone, that there are people who are willing to walk the journey to recovery with you.

At Blue Diamond Wellbeing—Quality Psychotherapy Counselling & Spas, we offer lasting and transformational relief from the constant stress, worries and anxieties. Your Mental Wellbeing Partner. Our services are a combination of psychotherapy counselling and personalised spa treatments, a great environment to focus on you and your wellbeing.

If you are finding it hard to cope with work-related stress or know someone struggling, book now, for your 20 minutes free consultation, on us!!

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