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How low do people ‘really’ have to sink before things start to get better again?
This time last year HR Grapevine spoke to Jo Burrell. She’s not an HR person; rather she’s a clinical psychologist – and one of some 25+ years standing.
But her problem is that she sees and speaks to HR directors each and every day – and they all tell her the same thing: they just cannot cope.
No support systems
“There is no system of support for those who work in HR,” she opined last year, upon sharing her own research which revealed a very worrying and very stark picture. It showed that 78% of HR respondents polled said they felt at risk of burn-out; while low mood and depression now affects 73% of HR practitioners.
Jo Burrell
Clinical Psychologist
Most shockingly of all, Burrell found that nearly half (43%) of the HR practitioners she surveyed would meet the criteria for showing clinically-significant symptoms of depression – an incidence rate which is (wait for it), 2.5 times higher amongst HR professionals than it is in the general working population as a whole.
This was a profession that she said was crying out for help, but was just not getting it. Only 24% of HR professionals said they received any support relating to their mental health.
So what is the position one year later?
Twelve months on, and Burrell is back talking exclusively to HR Grapevine again, but depressingly, very little appears to have changed at all.
“Overall, what we’re seeing is still quite a stark picture,” says Burrell of the latest 2026 findings, which have similar headline results.
According to her, some 74% of those polled said they have symptoms of low mood and depression.
Last year 43% met the criteria for having clinically significant symptoms of depression – and this year this number has ticked up again, by one percentage point to 44%.
Overall, what we’re seeing is still quite a stark picture
Remember, this statistic for HR professionals compares to a figure of around 18% for the general population as a whole. In other words, those working in HR are more than two times likely to have depression than other people in other professions.
Anxiety – a different measure – also shows worryingly high prevalence in 2026 - with symptoms of anxiety found to be present in 73% of the HR respondents, and 40% of respondents meeting the criteria for clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (compared to a figure of 15% in the general working population).
Things ‘don’t look promising’
“The overall picture we’re seeing is one that simply does not look promising,” says Burrell starkly.
“The only slight sliver of news is that there is a slight reduction in the numbers of people who report feeling burned out. But the fact of the matter is that overall, low levels of wellbeing are evident in 63% of respondents.” She adds: “Some 74% scored below the UK population average.”
The overall impact work places HR professionals’ mental health is significant, finds the research.
Nearly two-fifths of respondents say they would consider quitting the industry for good – which is hardly a ringing endorsement of how HR can protect others in the organisation, if they cannot find the means to protect themselves.
