The Contemporary Drivers of Mental Health
Mental health is a significant issue for businesses. It can increase presenteeism and absence, negatively impact productivity, morale and engagement, and it costs UK employers up to £42 billion a year1.
Poor mental health at work is widespread - 48% of employees have experienced a mental health problem in their current job and only half have talked to their employer about it, and as many as a quarter of employees are struggling in silence2.
(Annual cost of mental health issues to UK businesses across all industries)
There is a huge opportunity for employers to be part of the solution in understanding and addressing mental health concerns.
Employers can be a big part of the solution through helping to prevent issues from occurring, detecting any problems early on, providing rapid interventions, and supporting employees who have longer-term issues. To do this, employers need to understand how to recognise and address the mental health challenges facing their employees.
What’s driving mental health issues?
Beyond the broad factors that influence us all, there are a wide range of drivers that can contribute to or cause mental health problems. Some of these issues can still be seen as taboo to discuss, which often means a doubling of the culture of silence around mental health, and an even greater negative impact on people’s lives and mental state.
The Contemporary Drivers of Mental Health Paper
In Aon’s latest paper, we have selected a range of contemporary and taboo drivers of poor mental health to highlight the dynamic nature of our mental health, and to illustrate the need for a broader, more comprehensive approach to improving mental health through the workplace. Our paper explores the following taboo drivers of mental health and gives practical guidance to employers about building a strategy to improve mental health in the workplace.
- Divorce & separation
- 24/7 culture and the impact on sleep
- Working carers
- Drugs, alcohol and addiction
- Gender dysphoria
Download The Contemporary Drivers of Mental Health Whitepaper