The 10th of October marks the annual return of World Mental Health Day. This year, we are supporting the theme put forward by World Federation of Mental Health to raise awareness about mental health in the workplace.
How Can Work Impact Our Mental Health?
We all know that work can impact our mental health in either positive or negative ways. For some, work provides a sense of purpose and boosts self-worth. However, work can also be a source of stress and anxiety for various reasons.
An obvious link between work and mental health is that of burnout. 88% of UK employees felt an impact on their health due to burnout from work during the last 2 years.
Many UK employees have recently reported overworking, and it was found that the UK has the highest weekly average working hours in Europe; at 42 hours per week on average.
- 43% of UK workers are regularly working unpaid overtime.
- 64% of UK workers feel pressure to be available for contact regarding work constantly.
- 42% of UK workers catch up on unfinished work during their free time.
How Does Financial Difficulty Affect Mental Health?
A common cause for mental health struggles is financial difficulty. Struggling to afford the essentials and to stay afloat financially is often linked to heightened levels of stress and anxiety.
As financial difficulty escalates, unaffordable debt can build up. We hear from people across Scotland who are struggling to keep up with repayments to their debts. It is common for the people that speak to us to link mental health struggles to their debt; often discussing a lack of sleep caused by worrying about their financial future and experiencing stress caused by their debt.
In our most recent survey, we found that:¹
- Over 93% of Harper McDermott customers told us that they lost sleep worrying about their debt.
- Over 91% of our customers told us that debt had an impact on their mental health before entering into a debt solution, with many specifically affected by stress and anxiety.
- Almost 60% of our customers said that they have stress or anxiety.
Let’s Talk About It
While talking about mental health in the workplace has become more common, there is a stigma that many people can face. This stigma is also attached to the discussion of debt. With 44% of our customers stating that they delayed in reaching out for debt advice because they felt ashamed or embarrassed and feared judgement over their financial situation.¹
However, as difficult as it sounds, it’s important not to beat yourself up over debt. We know that many people across Scotland find themselves in debt; feeling ashamed or embarrassed about the situation can only impact on your mental health and cause further detriment to your financial situation. The best way forward is to speak to an experienced debt adviser who can help you to find the right solution for you.
“I have been dealing with multiple payments and debts for many years, causing stress! Decided to look into a Trust Deed as a way of consolidating. Have dealt with Barry who has been fantastic. Friendly, extremely helpful and reassuring! He has put my mind at ease that going forward my worries about my debts will be much less.”
– Aisling
Support Services for Mental Health
We understand that although mental health struggles can be closely related to debt or could even the direct cause of it, you may need to get in touch with people who are trained in mental health support. Please follow the links below if you feel it is appropriate for you. Discover more links to additional support services here.
Call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 for free.
Visit the See Me website for the relevant contact information.
SHOUT provide 24/7 support via text message. Text ‘SHOUT’ TO 85258.
Call the Samaritans on 116 12 for free, 24/7.
Visit the SAMH website for support.
¹November – December 2023 Harper McDermott customer survey with 2,246 responses.