The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (the professional and educational body for occupational medicine in the United Kingdom) welcomed the findings of an independent taskforce report to the NHS-
‘Five Year Forward View for Mental Health – A report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England February 2016’
In the report it recognised the importance of returning to work as a ‘healthcare outcome’.
The new report detailed: 1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health problem, and the cost to the economy is estimated at £105 billion a year – roughly the cost of the entire NHS.
However, according to research, one in five British workers admits to being sceptical about colleagues who take time off as a result of mental health issues such as depression, stress or anxiety.
Workers are not convinced colleagues who take time off as a result of mental health issues such as depression, stress or anxiety are sick enough to justify time off sick.
The study of 1,388 workers was commissioned by employee benefits firm Willis PMI following the Government’s February pledge to ramp up investment in mental health conditions to enable more people to return to work and be supported when they do.
The research concluded that 14% do not believe stress to be a genuine mental health condition. This was despite the fact that more than a quarter (29%) claimed to have suffered from mental health problems at some point themselves!
