Is the UK Facing a Potential Mental Health Tsunami?

As the UK faces a potential mental health tsunami, a third of British employees say their mental wellbeing has worsened since the pandemic began. Over two-thirds of them cite their work-life as a contributor.

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36.7% suffering from worse mental health than pre-pandemic and 72.6% of those citing work life as at least partly responsible.

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Leading wellbeing and performance company, PUSH, has teamed up with mental health charity, Solent Mind, as latest figures show the urgent need for mental health reform within the workplace, as the UK struggles with the uncertainty of the post-pandemic employment landscape.

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The YouGov survey commissioned by PUSH and Solent Mind, suggests that a third of GB employees (36.7%) are suffering from worse mental health now, compared with pre-pandemic levels. Perhaps proof many are struggling with the ever changing ‘new normal’ and the challenges that brings.

Even more crucially, as we move from working remotely, to office or hybrid working, the figures show that almost two thirds (72.6%) of those whose mental health has worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, attribute their work-life as at least partly responsible.

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Also, almost a third (28.1%) of employees believe that their employer is not doing enough to safeguard their mental health at work.

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Cate Murden, Founder of PUSH, says:

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“The survey that we ran with YouGov backed up everything that PUSH is hearing from our clients already: Mental wellbeing has decreased since the pandemic, and this is often due to ongoing change and uncertainty in the workplace which has massively increased our levels of anxiety".

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Amongst those who felt their work life contributed to their worsened mental wellbeing since the beginning of the pandemic, too much change in the workplace (31.3%), unclear communication (30.3%) and employees not feeling comfortable talking about their mental wellbeing to their boss, topped the poll as contributing factors. With 16% of employees also concerned with getting used to hybrid policies, it is clear that in general we are no longer feeling confident in jobs we were previously grounded in.

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In fact, the feeling of uncertainty seems to prevail, with people more concerned about not knowing where they are headed, than the concerns of having to return to the commute (14%) or for their personal safety amidst ongoing COVID, when back in the office (17%).

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With such a stark number of employees feeling unsupported by their employers in these unsteady times, PUSH and Solent Mind have teamed up to offer much needed training through tailored workshops.

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Over the next 12 months the partnership will be dedicated to supporting individuals, teams and organisations with a selection of co-created sessions which will provide exactly the support needed at that time.

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It launches 19 October, with two separate sessions, one for employees, and one for employers. They will aim to reduce levels of uncertainty and deal with change.

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Cate Murden explains:

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“Our partnership with Solent Mind is incredibly important to us – PUSH understand exactly what’s happening in organisations across the UK and now we will bring them the lived experience expertise of Solent Mind trainers and facilitators. We have one joint mission of de-stigmatising mental health and ensuring that everyone has someone to speak with that they can relate to.

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Together, Solent Mind and PUSH will prepare our workforce for change, uncertainty and whatever comes their way.”

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These sessions will look at: dealing with change, how we react to it, how it can lead to mental wellbeing issues, and how teams can support each other.

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Emma Fernandes, Business Development Director of Solent Mind, says:

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“As our new poll shows, this is a timely opportunity for the charity and Push M&B to ensure we can reach even more employees to help with their mental well-being. Covid has tested the mental health of our employees even further and we can’t side-step mental health issues.

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Solent Mind has a wealth of lived experience and knowledge, and the facts now reveal that effective training, stigma breaking, and educational resources for both employees and employers is needed now more than ever.”

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Looking to reach as many people as possible who are affected by poor mental health and wellbeing due to their work-life, these sessions are available to be booked by any employer for their team. For more information on how PUSH can support you and to book, contact enquiries@pushmindandbody.com.

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All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1000 GB adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 7th – 11th October 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of British business size.

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