The survey also suggests that the UK is a nation where people toss and turn at night, with six in ten saying poor sleep contributes to stress and burnout (64%). Other factors that potentially contribute to burnout in our personal lives include financial uncertainty due to the cost of living crisis (53%), general money worries (53%), poor physical health (46%), and feelings of isolation (43%). .
However, despite high or extreme levels of pressure and stress being common among the UK population, one in four adults feel unable to manage stress in their lives (24%).
When it comes to what best helps relieve stress and prevent burnout at work, more than half cited having a healthy work-life balance (56%), while four in ten said they had a direct superior to support them (43%) or colleagues and colleagues to support them (42%). Other top factors included reasonable accommodations at work (38%), professional support for mental health such as employee assistance programs or coaching (29%) and organizations offering training to staff on mental health at work (24%). .
The likelihood that someone had taken time off work in the past year due to mental health problems caused by stress decreased with age: 34 percent of workers ages 18 to 24 did so, compared to 15 percent of those aged 55 years. or above.
Workers ages 35 to 44 were most likely to have experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress often or always in the past year (40%), while workers ages 55 and older were the least likely (33 %).
Brian Dow, chief executive of Mental Health UK, said: “Simply put, this temperature test of the nation’s wellbeing suggests that the UK is fast becoming a burnt-out nation, with a worrying number of people missing work due to poor mental health caused by stress.
“High levels of work absence due to poor mental health are a significant challenge, but their causes are complex. Public attitudes and understanding towards mental health and work have changed, particularly as the workplace was transformed overnight in response to the pandemic. Meanwhile, we live in unprecedented times, and life outside of work has become increasingly difficult due to the cost of living crisis and pressures on public services, while global challenges such as climate change and artificial intelligence They fuel stress, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness.
“What is clear is that we urgently need the government to lead a national conversation about how we can best help people stay in or return to work, given the positive impact secure employment has on mental health. Part of this will involve looking at how employers can better detect and manage stress before it turns into burnout. But the onus is not just on organisations, and while it is positive that staff are more likely than in the past to raise concerns about stress and mental health, we will need to consider what support and adjustments from employers are reasonable. . “There will not be a simple, one-size-fits-all solution, but failure to adequately understand and address the challenges we face will threaten our long-term health and success as a nation.”
You can read the Mental Health UK’s full burnout report here.
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