New report claims ‘Britain is on the brink of a mental health shadow pandemic’

A new report from a leading mental health organisation has highlighted that the UK is heading towards one of the biggest mental health crises in history as cases of burnout, depression and workplace anxiety escalate post-pandemic.

Compiled using insights from more than 40 professional mental health coaches and 300 HR and People specialists, the report from Sanctus highlights figures that indicate mental health challenges are reaching ‘breaking point’ for many British employees.

According to the latest data from McKinsey, 60% of adults reported their mental health had worsened during the pandemic.

Research from University College London (UCL) and Sussex University reported 69% of marginalised groups such as the LGTBQ+ community have stated they have experienced depression since the Covid-19 outbreak began.

When it comes to people’s working lives, a recent report from Indeed stated that 52% of respondents said they had experienced burnout during 2021.

Data from the CIPD reported that 37% of workers have taken stress related absences.

James Routledge, founder of Sanctus, said: “We’re entering a new beginning now and we’re adjusting to a new way of living and working, as well as processing the collective experiences we’ve all just been through.

“The mental health impact of COVID-19 and the “shadow pandemic” are very real and we’re about to begin to all feel the shock of that.”

“Supporting employee mental health has never been more challenging or more important.”