Half of public sector workers have poor mental health

Some 48% have taken time off compared to 32% in the private sector workforce
Public health workers take nearly three days off a year due to internal struggles
They feel more able to open up to their employer but just 51% feel supported
Some 15% in the public sector are self-professed sufferers versus private’s 9%
It is unclear why public sector workers appear to suffer more than others

Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published:
12:31 BST, 1 June 2017

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Updated:
12:31 BST, 1 June 2017

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Almost half of public sector employees have taken time off work due to mental health problems, a new survey reveals.

Some 48 per cent have had time off compared to 32 per cent in the private sector workforce, the research found.

Public sector employees take nearly three days off sick every year due to their mental health compared to just under one day among those in the private workforce, the survey adds.

It is unclear why mental health disorders appear to affect public sector employees more.

Almost half of public sector workers have taken time off due to their mental health (stock)

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How big was the survey?

The mental health charity Mind conducted the survey of more than 12,000 workers from across the UK.

More than 5,700 of the participants were public sector employees.

What were the results?

The results revealed 48 per cent of public sector workers have had time off due to poor mental health compared to 32 per cent in the private workforce.

This causes public sector workers to take nearly three sick days annually compared to just under one day among private workers, the survey adds.

Although the results revealed more public sector workers feel able to open up to their employer, just 49 per cent feel supported when they disclose their issues compared to 61 per cent in the private sector.

The results also found some 15 per cent of those in the public sector have self-professed poor mental health compared to nine per cent of private sector employees.

Why public sector employees appear to be more affected by mental health disorders was not discussed.

How can the findings be used?

Mind chief executive Paul Farmer said: ‘A vital part of changing the lives of people with mental health problems is to tackle the culture of fear and silence in the workplace that stops people opening up about what they are experiencing.

‘But it’s also vital that when people do speak out they get the right help and support at the right time.

‘It’s clear there is still a long way to go in both the public and private sector to address the gap between people asking for support and actually getting what they need.

‘By promoting wellbeing for all staff, tackling the causes of work-related mental health problems and supporting staff who are experiencing mental health problems, organisations can help keep people at work and create mentally healthy workplaces where people are supported to perform at their best.’

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