Although mental health is becoming much less of a taboo subject there is still an awful long way to go before everyone who is struggling feels comfortable talking about their mental health struggles. Here are 10 jaw-dropping mental health statistics that you need to be aware of.

1. Over a third of the public think people with a mental health issue are likely to be violent

This is far from the truth as people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violent crime

2. At any given time, 1 in 6 working-age adults have symptoms associated with mental ill health.

Mental health issues are very common and there is a high likelihood you are working with many people living with mental health issues.

3. Mental ill health is responsible for 72 million working days lost and costs £34.9 billion each year

Whilst these figures seem scary, they don’t account for the cost of reduced productivity through presenteeism (continuing to attend work whilst struggling to cope with a mental health issue)

4. 1 in 5 people take a day off due to stress. Yet, 90% of these people cited a different reason for their absence

A sign that more work needs to be done to reduce the stigma and taboo attached to mental health and wellbeing at work.

5. In 2018/19 stress, depression or anxiety were responsible for 44% of all cases of work-related ill health and 54% of all working days lost due to health issues in GB

Evidence to suggest more people are reporting mental health rather than physical health issues as reason for absence.

6. 39% of adults aged 16-74 with anxiety or depression, surveyed in England, were accessing mental health treatment, in 2014. This figure has increased from 24% since the last adult psychiatric morbidity survey in 2007

Yet more broadly 70-75% of people with diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all

7. In 2018 there were 6,154 suicides in Great Britain. This means more than 16 people per day took their life.

The numbers of people who attempted suicide are thought to be 10-25 times higher.

8. Men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK

Overall, 75% of all deaths as a result of suicide are male and the majority would have been living with a mental health condition, but not necessarily diagnosed.

9. Every year it costs businesses £1,300 per employee whose mental health needs are unsupported

These costs are related to lost productivity through absence, presenteeism, recruitment and re-training. Can your business afford not to focus on prioritising the mental health and wellbeing of its workforce?

10. 69% of UK line managers say that supporting employee wellbeing is a core skill, but only 13% have received mental health training.

Have you thought about offering your line managers training to increase their confidence in dealing with mental health issues? Healthy Performance has a suite of mental health support services available. For more information click here.