Recruitment and Mental Health

Abstract

[Excerpt] Large numbers of people in the UK have mild to moderate and severe mental health conditions. Mental ill health is common and can affect anyone of any age, gender, ethnicity or social group. Three in ten employees will experience mental health problems during a year. The most prevalent mental health problems for people of working age are: anxiety, depression, phobic anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. Depression will rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020. The majority of people with mental health problems are willing and able to work. Despite this, an estimated one million people are out of work. While businesses are beginning to get better at employing individuals with a history of mental ill health, there remain significant barriers for both individuals and employers. This report describes what employers and government could do differently that would make it easier to recruit people with mental health problems.