A third of employees in the UK National Health Service (NHS) have taken time off for mental health issues in the past year with many staff talking about reaching “breaking point”, according to the union UNISON.
A survey of health workers, including nurses, occupational therapists and paramedics, has also found more than four in five (85%) have experienced stress at work over the past 12 months.
UNISON says the findings – based on responses from more than 19,000 staff and released during the union’s annual health conference in Edinburgh and released two weeks ahead of the psychosocial hazards-themed International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April – paint a grim picture when the NHS workforce is under pressure to reduce waiting lists.
Staff say stress has had a significant impact on their mental and physical health, with symptoms including anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, migraines, and sleep disturbance.
Some have experienced high blood pressure, stress-related vomiting, dizziness and breathlessness, according to the findings of the union survey. One NHS worker even reported suffering a heart attack due to understaffing and high workloads.
Many described reaching breaking point, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by sustained levels of stress. This has affected their relationships and family lives, with some reporting suicidal thoughts, UNISON says.
NHS workers also described taking antidepressants and beta-blocker drugs, as well as undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling.
Almost a quarter (23%) of those taking sick leave didn’t tell their employer the real reason for their absence from work. Of those, most said they did not feel their manager would support them, while concerns about stigma and not wanting colleagues to know were also common.
Counselling, medication or other forms of support had been sought in the past year by more than one in four (28%) of those under stress. Almost two thirds (65%) of those who had taken time off for stress reported feeling that they were under pressure to come to work, despite feeling mentally unwell. This adds strain to an already overstretched workforce, UNISON says.
UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Such high levels of stress in the NHS should be ringing alarm bells. Staff who care for others are being pushed to the point that they’re becoming unwell themselves.” She added: “Government and employers must do more to help staff with their mental health, including providing fast-track access to treatment and moving away from punitive and counter-productive absence policies.”