Workplace Mental Health Statistics UK: 2026 Facts, Data & Key Insights
Mental ill health in the workplace has reached record levels in the United Kingdom, and the trajectory shows no sign of reversal. In 2024/25 the Health and Safety Executive published data showing that nearly one million workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety — the highest rate ever recorded since annual data collection began in 2001/02. This guide brings together data from the HSE, CIPD, Deloitte, MHFA England, and Mental Health UK to provide the most comprehensive UK workplace mental health statistics reference available.
Key Facts
- 964,000 workers in Great Britain suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25 — a 24% increase from 776,000 the previous year (HSE)
- This represents 2,770 cases per 100,000 workers — more than double the rate when records began in 2001/02
- Work-related mental health conditions account for 52% of all work-related ill health cases in Great Britain (HSE 2024/25)
- Mental health conditions account for 62% of all working days lost to work-related ill health
- 22.1 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2024/25 — an average of 16.4 days per affected worker
- Total working days lost to all work-related ill health and injury reached 40.1 million in 2024/25
- Average sickness absence has risen to 9.4 days per employee per year — the highest in over 15 years (CIPD, 2025)
- Mental ill health is now the leading cause of long-term absence, accounting for 41% of cases (CIPD, 2025)
- Work-related mental health issues cost the UK economy £57.4 billion a year (MHFA England)
- Deloitte places the cost to employers at £56 billion annually — with a £5.30 return for every £1 invested in early intervention (Deloitte, 2024)
- 63% of UK employees show at least one characteristic of burnout — up from 51% in 2021 (Deloitte, 2024)
- 91% of UK adults experienced high or extreme stress in the past year (Mental Health UK, Burnout Report 2026)
- 1 in 5 workers (21%) needed to take time off due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the past year
- Only 13–14% of employees say they feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work
- Only 32% of workplaces have formal plans in place to identify signs of chronic stress and prevent burnout
The Scale of Work-Related Mental Ill Health in the UK
The Health and Safety Executive's annual statistics, published in November 2025, represent the most authoritative measure of work-related mental health in Great Britain. The 2024/25 data — drawn from the Labour Force Survey — records 964,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, comprising both new and long-standing cases. This is a 24% increase on the 776,000 recorded in 2023/24, and represents the highest rate ever recorded since annual collection began in 2001/02.
The rate of 2,770 cases per 100,000 workers is more than double the baseline when records began. HSE has noted that breaking the taboo around mental ill health — with more people willing to discuss and report their experiences — has likely contributed to the upward trend alongside genuine increases in prevalence. Either way, the direction is unambiguous.
Mental health conditions now account for 52% of all work-related ill health cases in Great Britain and 62% of all working days lost to work-related ill health. No other category comes close. The second largest contributor — musculoskeletal disorders — accounted for 7.1 million days lost in 2024/25, compared with 22.1 million for stress, depression and anxiety.
Which Sectors Are Most Affected?
HSE sector data consistently identifies the same high-risk industries. Public administration and defence has the highest rate of work-related mental health conditions at 3.5% per 100,000 workers — above the all-industry average of 2%. Human health and social work — encompassing NHS staff — and the education sector, including teachers, also show significantly above-average rates.
Workers in construction face a different but equally severe profile — dominated not by work-related ill health reporting but by the extreme suicide rates that characterise a workforce with limited formal HR infrastructure and strong cultural barriers to disclosure.
The leading causes cited by workers for work-related stress, depression or anxiety are: workload pressures including tight deadlines and excessive responsibility; lack of managerial support; violence and bullying (see our workplace bullying statistics guide); organisational changes; and role uncertainty.
Burnout: An Endemic Problem
Deloitte's 2024 research found that 63% of UK employees show at least one characteristic of burnout — feelings of exhaustion, mental distance from their job, or declining performance — up from 51% in 2021.
Mental Health UK's Burnout Report 2026 — based on a nationally representative YouGov sample of 4,502 adults — found that 91% of UK adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the previous year. This figure has held constant across three consecutive years.
1 in 5 workers (21%) needed to take time off work due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the past year. Among 18 to 24 year olds, this figure rises to 39%. The full data on burnout is in our burnout statistics guide.
The Cost to Employers and the Economy
Work-related mental health issues cost the UK economy £57.4 billion a year (MHFA England). Deloitte's calculation of the direct cost to employers runs at £56 billion annually. The estimated annual cost of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill health was £22.9 billion in 2023/24 (HSE rolling average).
Despite this enormous cost, only 32% of workplaces have formal plans to identify signs of chronic stress and prevent burnout, and only 13–14% of employees say they feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work. The business case for proactive investment is clear: Deloitte found a £5.30 average return for every £1 invested in mental health support. For the full economic picture, see our cost of mental health to the UK economy guide.
The Silence Problem
One of the most persistent and damaging features of workplace mental health in the UK is the gap between prevalence and willingness to disclose. 35% of workers said they did not feel comfortable discussing high or extreme stress with a manager (Mental Health UK Burnout Report 2026) — an increase of 3 percentage points from the previous year. Among 18 to 24 year olds, comfort in discussing stress with a manager fell from 75% in 2024 to 56% in 2025.
52% of employees report feeling more engaged and productive when their organisation offers mental health resources such as counselling or wellness programmes — yet only 1 in 4 workers feels mental health is genuinely prioritised and supported in their workplace.
The Role of Mental Health First Aid
With mental health now the primary driver of workplace ill health in the UK, equipping managers and employees with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems early has never been more important. Our Mental Health First Aid courses are designed to meet that need.
Sources
- Health and Safety Executive. Work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics in Great Britain, 2025.
- Health and Safety Executive. HSE publishes annual workplace health and safety statistics 2024/25 (press release, November 2025).
- Health and Safety Executive. Working days lost in Great Britain.
- CIPD. Health and Wellbeing at Work 2025.
- Mental Health UK. Burnout Report 2026.
- Deloitte. Mental health and employers: refreshing the case for investment (2024).
- MHFA England. Key workplace mental health statistics for 2024.
- British Safety Council. Work-related stress, anxiety and depression reach record high, HSE stats show (November 2025).
Written by: This guide was produced by the team at Mental Health First Aid Course. We publish data resources like this one to help employers, HR professionals, and safety managers understand the true scale of workplace mental health challenges and act on the evidence.