Mental health in the workplace
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well, work well and contribute to their community.
Fluctuations in mental health during our lives are normal, and recovery from mental ill health is more likely when people receive the right help at the right time. According to NHS England Digital’s monthly sickness absence data, mental ill health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the NHS, accounting for 30.3 per cent of all absences in July 2025.
The Mental Health Foundation reports that nearly nine in ten people with mental health problems say stigma and discrimination negatively affect their lives. With 86 per cent stating that fear of stigma stops them from taking actions such as seeking help or disclosing their condition at work. NHS trusts should have supportive initiatives in place to ensure staff mental wellbeing in the workplace, and to maintain the quality of patient care.
This web page provides guidance on what organisations can do to tackle some of these issues. It also features support and resources which employers can use to support their workforce, as well as our mental health in the workplace infographic, a handy resource containing key facts and statistics on this topic.
Supporting your staff
Decreased emotional wellbeing among staff can contribute to increased mental health and stress concerns. It's therefore vital that staff understand the factors which affect mental health and have regular wellbeing conversations with their managers. Managers must have the right skills to support these conversations and be able to respond compassionately to individual needs.
Leaders also have an important role in reinforcing positive attitudes around mental health, and shaping organisational culture by encouraging positive behaviours.
While discussing physical health can be easier, emotional wellbeing can be more challenging. Organisations can help by:
- raising awareness of mental health
- educating their people on this topic
- providing the right resources to encourage open conversations
- challenging the stigma about mental health.
The NHS Better Health, every mind matters hub has a free Your Mind Plan quiz. Use this for yourself or signpost to your colleagues. Answer five simple questions to get your personalised mental health action plan, with tips and advice to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.
Supporting ambulance staff
With over 14,000 emergency services staff and volunteers, research shows that it is particularly important for people in the ambulance service to look after their mental wellbeing. Ambulance service staff face some of the highest rates of poor mental health across the entire NHS workforce.
Research from Mind’s Blue Light Programme found that ambulance service staff are at greater risk of developing a mental health problem than the general population, and that only one in four ambulance staff rated their current mental health as very good or good. Report shows:
- ambulance service staff are more at risk of developing a mental health issue than the general population
- 91 per cent of ambulance service staff have experienced stress and poor mental health at work
- ambulance service staff and volunteers work hard to prevent mental health problems from affecting their performance at work, but this can impact relationships with friends and family.
Mind offers a range of support and information specifically for those working within the emergency services. While the Association of Ambulance Chief Executive also offers a wide suite of ambulance wellbeing resources, including comprehensive mental maintenance toolkits for both staff and managers.
Understanding risk factors around mental health
Both personal circumstances and the workplace environment can contribute to how staff feel.
Although it is often impossible to change external circumstances, workplaces can often help ease pressures through negating workplace risk factors and ensuring supportive practices and procedures. Educating staff about risk factors is the first step to achieving this.
According to the WHO, these can include:
- poor communication and management practices
- lack of support for staff
- inflexible working hours
- unclear tasks or organisational objectives
- limited autonomy or decision-making power
- unclear job roles or organisational objectives.
In addition, burnout, loneliness and moral injury are recognised as risk factors that have significantly impacted the mental health of NHS staff, particularly in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Embedding protective factors
Protective factors help negate the risk factors for poor mental health. Below we have outlined what organisations can do to achieve this:
Supporting our NHS people with moral injury
Moral injury can occur when staff feel they have done something they should not have done; did not do something they should have; or were betrayed by others (often a higher authority). The section below provides more details:
Addressing workplace loneliness
The Mental Health Foundation reports strong links between loneliness and mental health. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report (2024) demonstrates that workplace loneliness is harmful to both employees and employers and can negatively impact staff engagement. For further details, read the government’s Employers and loneliness guidance.
Organisations can help combat workplace loneliness by actively ensuring staff can form healthy, long-term relationships with their co-workers. The Campaign to End Loneliness advises five key factors which can help achieve this:
Staff experience and the Long Term Workforce plan
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has emphasised the importance of retaining our valued NHS workforce. Employers should be looking at their wellbeing offer and critically evaluating the experience of staff through all stages of their careers. A positive staff experience and a rounded support offer are vital to encouraging staff to remain in the workplace.
Mental health in the workplace infographic: Our downloadable infographic provides statistics and facts around mental wellbeing in the workplace. Employers can use the infographic to raise awareness of the importance of positive mental wellbeing at work, or as part of a business case to further your workforce mental wellbeing agenda.
Supporting the wellbeing needs of NHS staff | NHS Employers: This guidance supports NHS health and wellbeing, and staff experience leads to prioritise and meet staff wellbeing needs.
Hierarchy of NHS staff needs: A downloadable Hierarchy of NHS staff needs poster that helps employers prioritise staff wellbeing.
