The Rising Tide of Mental Health Challenges in the UK Workforce
Wednesday 14th May 2025
As Mental Health Awareness Week continues, Justian Blount, EMBS Talent’s Data & AI Practice Director, looks at the rising tide of mental health challenges in the UK workforce.
This week gives us the opportunity to reflect on a growing concern that’s quietly becoming one of the biggest challenges facing both employees and businesses across the UK – the rise in mental health issues within our working population.
The data is hard to ignore. Over 1 in 10 working-age adults are now reporting signs of poor mental health. This isn’t an isolated finding – it’s been consistently echoed across various data sources, from self-reported surveys to clinical assessments.
Sharp Increase
While these issues cut across all age groups, the sharpest increase is among 16 to 34-year-olds, where rates have at least doubled over the last decade. This paints a stark picture of the challenges facing the next generation of our workforce – challenges that are likely to affect employers in every sector.
There are also notable disparities across regions and demographics. People with lower qualifications, those currently outside the workforce, and communities in Scotland and the North of England are reporting the highest rates of poor mental health. The North of England, in particular, shows the highest proportion of people receiving benefits specifically due to mental health issues.
Non Work Limiting Conditions
Digging deeper into the data shows a shift not just in prevalence but in the type of mental health conditions being reported. While 60% of reported conditions are now considered work-limiting, it’s the non-work-limiting conditions that have seen a dramatic 12-fold increase over the past 20 years. These conditions might not prevent someone from working entirely, but they can still have a profound impact on well-being, motivation, and productivity.
Employment data reinforces this picture. Individuals with work-limiting mental health conditions are significantly less likely to be in employment than those without health challenges. Although higher qualifications help reduce this gap, the disparity remains concerning. Even for those whose conditions are not work-limiting, the impact is still felt — with a higher likelihood of lower pay and fewer opportunities for progression.
Crucial Role for Employers
All of this brings into sharp focus the crucial role employers have to play. Supporting mental health at work isn’t a tick-box exercise – it needs to be part of the culture. That means normalising conversations around mental health, challenging stigma, and ensuring employees have access to the right support, whether that’s through Employee Assistance Programmes, mental health champions, or simply creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up.
Equally important is enabling healthy work-life balance, keeping an eye out for signs of stress and burnout, and giving managers the tools to have empathetic, supportive conversations.
Creating workplaces that prioritise mental health isn’t just good practice – it leads to more engaged, resilient, and productive teams. And that’s something all businesses can benefit from.
