Report calls for better mental health support in the workplace

"Up to 300,000 people with long-term mental health problems have to leave their jobs each year, a report says," writes BBC News. This was just one of the UK media outlets that published the findings of a report looking at the extent of mental ill health in the workplace, and the related economic and social costs. Most of the media led with headlines stating that 300,000 people with long-term mental health conditions leave work each year – twice the rate of those without mental health conditions. The loss to the economy was estimated to be up to £99 billion a year, including lost productivity output, the cost of providing benefits and healthcare costs.   What is the basis for these news stories? They are based on a report, "Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers", commissioned by Prime Minister Theresa May in January 2017. It was written by Lord Dennis Stevenson (mental health campaigner and former HBOS chief) and Paul Farmer (chief executive of the mental health charity Mind), and was jointly published by the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions. It includes research by audit firm Deloitte on costs to employers and the state. The report is free to download from the government's website. The prime minister welcomed the publication and said she wanted the recommendations to be implemented.   What were the main findings? The 88-page report looked at the extent of the problem of poor mental health in the workpla...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news