Increased stress levels have led to a rise in suicidal thoughts for workers, a new study from Sheffield-based Champion Health shows

The study surveyed 4,170 employees worldwide to give insight into the health and wellbeing of the working population between January 2022 and October 2022.

Harry Bliss, CEO and co-founder of Champion Health, said: “It’s no surprise that the last few years have been extremely tough on employees, and I’m really concerned about the findings of this report.

"The fact that workers experiencing suicidal thoughts has increased is terrifying; whilst a 1 per cent increase from last year to 9 per cent may seem low on the face of it, it isn’t, this means that in a workforce of 1,000 staff, 90 will be having thoughts about taking their own lives which could have a devastating impact.”

Financial worries are reported as the leading cause for stress outside of work, cited by 37 per cent, a 23 per cent increase on last year.

Perceived workload features as the highest cause of stress in work.

The data, which has been published in Champion Health’s annual report, also revealed that 60 per cent of employees feel anxious, with 56 per cent experiencing low mood. Female employees are 22 per cent more likely to feel anxious.

Younger workers are most likely to be affected, with 67 per cent of 16–24-year-olds experiencing symptoms of anxiety, and 61 per cent reporting symptoms of depression.

66 percent of 25–34-year-olds also reported symptoms of anxiety, with 60 per cent noting symptoms of depression.

Poor mental health was reported to negatively affect the performance of 1 in 5 employees.

Team culture and feeling supported at work correlated positively with mental wellbeing and productivity, with those who reported “feeling part of a team” experiencing greater positive mental wellbeing and feeling more productive.

Whilst the findings point to a decline in workers’ health, 98 per cent of employees said they felt motivated to improve their wellbeing.