Survey reveals mental health generation gap in our workplaces
by Startacus Admin
Millennials feel most under pressure in the workplace, reveals the UK’s biggest ever stress survey, released yesterday by the Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with Mental Health First Aid England to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May).
The UK’s biggest ever stress survey, conducted by YouGov, spoke to 4,619 people to understand the impact of stress on people’s health, relationships and working habits. The findings highlight a significant generational gap around workplace stress.
According to the survey, millennials are feeling the pressure at work.
Over a quarter of millennials (28%) state powering through stress is expected in their organisation’s culture, compared with just 12% of baby boomers. In addition, 
over a quarter of millennials (27%) often feel bothered by their stress levels during the working week as opposed to just 17% of baby boomers.
There is an increased spotlight on mental health awareness but on average, calculated across both generations, only 14% of people are comfortable speaking to a manager about their stress levels. This is despite a quarter of millennials (25%) saying they compromise their health to do their job, compared with 18% of baby boomers.
This generational divide is also highlighted through the impact of stress on workforce activity. Over a third of millennials (34%) have been less productive at work due to stress, versus only 19% of baby boomers.
Richard Grange, a spokesperson for the Mental Health Foundation, said: “The mental health impact of work can follow us home. A good job where we feel secure and supported can boost our mental health. But poor and insecure working conditions undermine good mental health.
“Millennials are more likely to have insecure contracts, low rates of pay and high entry-level workloads. The pressures they face in today’s employment market are very different to past generations.
“A degree, for example, was once considered the key to success. But that is no longer always the case. The more we understand about how experiences of work have changed – the less surprising it is they are experiencing high levels of stress.”
Commenting on the findings, Jaan Madan, Workplace Lead at Mental Health First Aid England, added:
“Coping with stress in the workplace starts with being able to have a conversation with your manager, and in a mentally healthy organisation everyone should feel comfortable talking about stress. Which is why Mental Health First Aid England has launched the Address Your Stress Toolkit, a free practical resource to help employers and employees identify the sources and signs of stress and take steps to help reduce the impact.”
Access the Mental Health First England ‘Address your Stress’ toolkit.
You may also want to read Startacus' previous article on Depression, Mental Health, Entrepreneurship & Startups or our recent feature on this mental health podcast that aims to spotlight startup life realities.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Stashbee, the online sharing-economy platform for storage space, has announced a £1.6m funding round on leading European investment platform Seedrs.
The lowdown on Talentful, the startup that's using your cultural fit and personality to match you to a job and employer...
Hot flushes affect around 1.5 million women in the UK alone. Step forward Grace, the world's first automated tracking and cooling bracelet that counters menopausal hot flushes
The innovative startup that empowers restaurant managers and owners to measure and improve their customer experience.
upSTART, the startup pitch competition at Digital DNA 2019 will see over 20 disruptive NI-based startups pitch to determine who will win an all-expenses paid trip to explore the New York tech scene.
If you've not quite scraped the pounds together to get your 1st startup idea off the ground yet, don't fret! Here's a few top funding tips to consider.
If you are running a business, it’s important for you to understand financial matters, too, Here's some handy accounting reminders!
Holland-based startup Active Cues has created a simple product to engage children and adults with cognitive challenges...
The startup that's empowering people to participate in their health and wellbeing decisions with easy-to-understand health insights.
The startup that's aiming to reduce loneliness and social isolation through warm technology...
Published on: 14th May 2018
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Stashbee announces £1.6m funding round on Seedrs 17th Jun 2019 Stashbee, the online sharing-economy platform for storage space, has announced a £1.6m funding round on leading European investment platform Seedrs.
- The upSTART finalists at Digital DNA 2019 13th Jun 2019 upSTART, the startup pitch competition at Digital DNA 2019 will see over 20 disruptive NI-based startups pitch to determine who will win an all-expenses paid trip to explore the New York tech scene.
- Lloyd's Lab announces third round of applications 3rd Jun 2019 From data sharing to next generation claims, insurance industry focused tech startups are currently being sought after to join Lloyd's Lab cohort 3.
- Startup Exhibitor package at Digital DNA 2019 28th May 2019 New startup exhibitor package at Digital DNA 2019 gives startups access to 150 Speakers, an estimated 3,000 attendees, 121 investor meetings, a startup pod to exhibit and 4 x 1 full-access exhibition tickets!
