Stress damaging output of British workforce

British workforce productivity is being damaged by stress and depression

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Wednesday, 04, Nov 2009 08:55

By inthenews.co.uk staff

The productivity of the British workforce is being damaged by people coming to work suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, research shows.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found a quarter of the 2,000 employees they surveyed describe their mental health as 'moderate or poor'.

Of those who said they were suffering with their mental health, some 90 per cent said it was affecting their performance on the job.

Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser, CIPD, said: "The survey findings provide compelling evidence for why employers need to become more proactive in how they manage mental health at work. Common mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression are one of the main causes of time lost to ill health.

"However, in many ways it is the time people suffering from mental health problems spend at work employers should focus more efforts on managing better.

"The government also has role to play in ensuring that talking therapies, such as different forms of counselling, are available for people suffering from poor mental health at an early stage before their health deteriorates to the point they have to take long periods of time off work sick or fall out of employment altogether."

Another survey published today, the UK's Stress-o-Meter commissioned by health and well-being brand HoMedics, found over a fifth of Britons admit to feeling stressed on a daily basis, with well over a third saying they feel pressured several times a week.

Liz Tucker, lifestyle and well-being specialist said: "The concept of stress has changed over recent years, with more of us able to face up to the fact that we are suffering at an earlier stage.

"This means we can address the problem much more easily but don't necessarily know what steps to take.

"Massage is good for anyone who feels stress on a regular basis even with a simple device at home can be effective if used properly and regularly."