Almost half of young workers have experienced suicidal thoughts, study finds

Younger people also more likely to hold back from talking about their feelings

'Mental health must be a priority issue for employers', say researchers (istock)

Younger workers aged 18-30 are more likely to have had a recent mental health challenge than their more senior colleagues, with 48 per cent reporting suicidal thoughts or feelings, according to new research.

A survey of 3,884 people over two years conducted by Accenture on behalf of This Can Happen – a conference focused on positive mental health in the workplace – revealed that almost half of 18-30-year-olds reported suicidal thoughts or feelings.

This is compared with 35 per cent of older workers.

Despite being more likely to experience such thoughts, 45 per cent of younger people admitted to “holding back” from talking about their mental health in the workplace, compared with 22 per cent of older employees.

Younger staff also reported feeling more pressure in their lives than older colleagues, with four in 10 people aged 18-30 saying that work pressures affected them on a daily basis, while one in three worried about the mental health of someone close to them.

“It's clear that many young people face challenges with their mental health before they enter the workforce and while working, and that they are affected more often than their senior peers,” said Barbara Harvey, managing director and mental health lead for Accenture UK.

“Therefore, mental health must be a priority issue for employers."

Harvey added that businesses need to work at creating "an open, supportive work environment which enables employees of all ages to look after their mental health, support one another, and perform at their best.”

The study also highlighted the advantages of working in a supportive and open culture, with 41 per cent of those working in such environments experiencing mental health challenges, compared with 65 per cent in less supportive environments.

This Can Happen founder Zoe Sinclair said: “With this survey we hope that many employers will examine their recruitment, induction and management styles to support younger members of their workforce.

“Undertaking large scale insightful research programmes that highlight the challenges faced by those entering the workforce is an integral part of what This Can Happen and Accenture are working towards.”

Mental ill health is estimated to cost the UK economy £94bn per year, according to figures released in 2018 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with one in six people across Europe struggling with their mental health.