CEO of Mental Health: "It's costing you £26bn a year"

Mental ill health in the workplace is a growing issue with one in six working age adults experiencing depression, anxiety or stress-related issues at any one time.

“10 million people experience a mental health issue each year in the UK and work-related mental ill health costs UK employers £26billion annually through lost working days, staff turnover and lower productivity,” Poppy Jaman, CEO of Mental Health First Aid England, told Business Grapevine.

“Even though we are now talking more about mental health, the stigma still remains, particularly in the workplace.”

Mental Health First Aidis the mental health equivalent of a physical first aid course. It teaches people the skills and confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues and effectively guide a person towards the right support. As such, Jaman gave us her professional advice on how you can start a conversation on mental health at work.