‘It’s not 1 in 4, it’s all of us.’ 

This is the title of a major joint Accenture and This Can Happen report on supporting the mental health of younger workers. And the results are staggering.

By the time they are 30 years old, 95% of workers in the UK will have been touched by a mental health challenge, either their own or that of someone they know.

Three-quarters have experienced personal mental health challenges.

Half of all young workers have had suicidal thoughts or feelings.

People under 30 report feeling twice as much pressure in their lives as older people. They are more likely to worry about how to pay bills or rent, and most aren’t even thinking of mortgages, which are out of reach for this generation.

What’s worse is younger workers are much less likely than their older counterparts to tell their employer when they are having a problem. Workers of all ages worry that disclosing struggles or issues inside or outside of work will harm their professional reputations. This affects younger workers even more, who feel they do not have the same sense of employment security older generations were used to.

Creating a supportive work culture is key

Some companies are offering a more inclusive culture that is more supportive of young workers and the mental health issues they may be facing. Look at the difference in these numbers between the organisations who have a more supportive culture versus organisations who have a less supportive culture.

• 88% of workers in more supportive organisations say senior leaders are open, warm and human when it comes to mental health compared to 5% in less supportive organisations
• 82% of workers in supportive organisations say there’s a senior person who genuinely cares about their wellbeing compared to 23% in less supportive organisations
• 87% of workers in supportive organisations say there’s a senior person to whom they can turn to for help with a mental health challenge compared to 17% in less supportive organisations

Building an open workplace culture on mental health isn’t just important because it’s the hot topic everyone is talking about right now. Ensuring your organisational culture is ready to support the changing landscape on mental health is fundamental for the future of any business.

Take 20 minutes to improve your employees’ mental health

VinciWorks’ mental health awareness course, Mental Health: Wellbeing at Work, is designed to give users an understanding of some of the causes of stress at work, what can happen when it’s not dealt with and how employees and employers can help reduce unnecessary stress and improve wellbeing at work. The course can be fully customised to enable employers to add relevant policies, procedures, links and information they want to communicate to their staff around mental health and wellbeing. The course has been nominated for the TimeOut mental health award in the Best Use of Technology category.