Stress & Anxiety
On a recent visit to a business exhibition called the ‘Really Useful Business Show’ I was surprised to discover that the main sponsor of the show was Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation. Sussex Partnership is one of the largest organisations in Sussex employing 4800 staff so they should know a thing or 2 about the the health of the countrys workforce.
These are some of their current statistics on mental health in the workplace:-
In any one year-
1 in 5 people in employment are affected by mental ill-health
The most commonly experienced mental health problems are depression, panic attacks, severe stress and anxiety disorder.
The national cost of mental ill health at work is estimated at £26 billion.
£8 million is saved by improving the management of mental ill-health in the workplace.
12% of people with a long-term mental disability are in employment.
30.2 working days are lost on average by each case of work related stress.
Unfortunately the current economic situation isn’t helping because cut backs in the workforce result in a loss of confidence for those losing their jobs and extra stress and pressure on those holding on to their jobs.
Many suffering from stress and anxiety don’t talk about their problems or seek advice because they don’t want to appear weak or vulnerable, they are often in survival mode instead of enjoying life. We, as a society, should acknowledge that some people are less emotionally resilient than others and be more open to talking about mental health issues and providing assistance as we do here at The Spence Practice.
