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Quarter of employees experience suicidal and self harming thoughts

Workers aged 18 to 24 years old were most likely to have feelings indicative of severe depression or suicide risk

A quarter (25%) of employees had thoughts of suicide or self harm in the last two weeks, a survey by wellbeing technology provider, Wysa, revealed today. The proportion expanded to one in three (36%) when looking at the last year.

One in three (33%) employees felt that their employer was overlooking serious mental health problems among employees. A higher proportion (41%) felt that mental health was treated as a tick-box exercise.

Meanwhile, 15% of UK employees have experienced a colleague attempting to lose, or losing, their life by suicide. A higher proportion (26%) reported feeling concerned that a colleague might attempt to hurt themselves or take their own life.

Pamela Gellatly, strategic development director at healthcare provider HCML, explained that it can be difficult for employers to identify whether employees have thoughts of suicide or self harm.

Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Employers are not in a position to be responsible to identify whether employees have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

“Nor is it a requirement under health and safety legislation, as many employees may find any process to identify this intrusive and do not want their employer to know.”


Read more: How employers can help prevent suicide


However, employers should create a culture where employees can express difficulties with their mental health, suggested Rebecca Holt, co-founder and director of workplace mental health provider, Working Mindset.

She told HR magazine: “Employers have a responsibility to create a work environment that allows us to say if we are not OK. 

“They need to create a culture of authentic openness. They need to check in and ask (repeatedly ask) how people are. Ultimately, managers need to know their people, to be able to spot if people are not OK.”

Holt added that training managers in how to have conversations about mental health could be essential to suicide prevention.

She continued: “Suicide prevention is about ensuring that we equip managers and employees to be confident in having a conversations about mental health, and that they feel able to ask direct questions to an individual who may be in crisis. 

“There also needs to be clear guidance and resources on where people can be signposted for help. HR should ensure they have a clear mental health strategy, and specific policies to ensure those with any mental health problems receive the support they need without delay.”

The survey asked employees what feelings, commonly associated with severe depression and suicide risk, they felt at work.

This included emotional distance from others (experienced by 35% employees), a sense of isolation or withdrawal (32%), a sense of distraction or lack of humour (32%), dwelling on the past (28%), persistent feeling of hopelessness (25%), and contemplation of death (9%).

These symptoms were most commonly felt among younger workers between 18 and 24 years old, as 44% reported that they experienced emotional distance from others at work, while 39% felt a sense of isolation or withdrawal. 

Gellatly explained that employers should target support for employees by carrying out risk assessments for those who are potentially vulnerable.


Read more: National suicide prevention strategy highlights employers' role


“As part of the Equality Act, employers should identify individuals in employment that are potentially vulnerable, to ensure they are not exposed to unnecessary risk or harm,” she said.

“Undertake psychological risk assessments to identify the occupational hazards and who can be harmed and how. Ideally employers should work with professionals to identify who is most at risk e.g. the under 30 population, employees with neurodiverse or protected characteristics, anyone who has suffered a trauma or has difficulties outside of work.”

She noted that this should be done confidentially, to prevent further harm.

Cary Cooper, psychologist and advisory board member at addiction rehabilitation centre Delamere, pointed to measures that employers could implement to reduce the risk of harm to employees. 

He told HR magazine: “To build an ethos of tolerance to ensure employees feel able to seek help, HR leaders should: have an employee assistance programme (EAP) that people can seek help through.

“Create workplace campaigns to show that HR is there to help, and that your employment will not be impacted by reaching out and implement mental health first aiders.”

Wysa commissioned Obsurvant to survey 2,182 UK full- and part-time employees between 19 and 23 February 2024.