Work pressures are affecting professionals’ mental wellbeing

Two in five professionals say they often experience challenges with their mental health as a result of their work or working life.

Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May), IOSH is revealing the results of a LinkedIn poll. The institution asked: Thinking about your work or working life, how often do you experience challenges with your mental health?

In addition to the 40 per cent who responded “often”, a further 29 per cent said they experience challenges “sometimes”, meaning almost seven in ten respondents reported mental health difficulties linked to their working lives. Meanwhile, 26 per cent said they experienced challenges “rarely”, with the remainder preferring not to say.

IOSH says the results highlight how mental health challenges at work are not isolated or occasional issues, but a routine experience for many people across different occupations and sectors. They also underline the importance of recognising mental health as a core occupational safety and health issue, rather than treating it separately or only addressing problems once individuals reach a crisis point.

While access to support services such as employee assistance programmes remains vital, IOSH is emphasising the need for prevention‑led approaches that tackle the root causes of harm. Earlier this year, the institution published its white paper From perks to prevention, which highlighted how workplace health and wellbeing is a business-critical priority.

Last month, the International Labour Organization published a new global report that showed more than 840,000 people die each year from health conditions linked to psychosocial risks, such as long working hours, job insecurity, and workplace harassment.

Richard Bate, President of IOSH, said: “When two in five professionals tell us they are often experiencing mental health challenges at work, it sends a powerful and sobering message. Mental health at work is not a niche concern or something affecting only a small self-diagnosed minority – it is widespread, real and deeply connected to how work is organised, managed and experienced."

During Mental Health Awareness Week, IOSH is urging employers, policymakers and occupational safety and health professionals to place prevention at the heart of workplace mental health efforts. This includes viewing mental health as an integral part of safe and healthy work, listening to workers’ experiences, and committing to long‑term, sustainable change rather than short‑term or reactive measures.