Statistics Show Workers With Mental Health Issues Take More Risks
A recent report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has highlighted that the annual statistics on work-related ill health and workplace injuries in Great Britain do not fully capture the broader impact of mental health issues.
The IOSH magazine's analysis indicates that poor mental health may have played a role in some of the 60,645 work-related injuries documented under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) in the HSE's summary statistics for Great Britain 2023.
Jane Murdoch, Chair of the Scottish Chamber of Safety and a health and safety expert emphasised the need for senior business leaders to address the root causes of workplace incidents. She pointed out that mental illness now accounts for 49% of work-related ill health, resulting in approximately 12 billion lost working days globally. Jane highlighted the often-overlooked connection between mental well-being and physical workplace incidents, where individuals may take risks they wouldn't consider in a better mental state.
Initiatives
While acknowledging that senior leaders often introduce initiatives like yoga classes and mindfulness sessions to support employees with mental health issues, Jane argued that these may not be effective for those experiencing acute workplace stress.
Statistics
The HSE's annual statistics for 2022/23 revealed that 1.8 million workers reported work-related ill health, with an estimated 875,000 citing work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. The prevalence rate of 2,590 per 100,000 workers remained consistent with the previous year, but there were signs of an increasing trend. The data also showed that 338,000 workers experienced new cases of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety during the same period.
The statistics indicated that approximately 17.1 million working days were lost due to mental health issues, accounting for 54% of all days lost. The main causes included workload pressures, poor managerial support, violence, bullying, organizational changes, and role uncertainty.
Analysis
Further analysis revealed that females and larger workplaces (with 250 employees and over) had higher rates of work-related mental health issues, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Corey Edwards from IOSH advocated for a prevention-first approach, citing the positive return on investment in mental health initiatives for employers.
Professor Jo Yarker of Affinity Health at Work highlighted the stigma around mental health and urged organizations to take an integrated approach, addressing prevention, protection, and support for staff well-being. Safer Highways drew attention to the construction industry's relatively lower prevalence of mental health issues but noted a disproportionately higher suicide rate, emphasizing the need to explore underlying factors.