Mental health and stress costing Scottish employers £2bn per year

By Natalie Walker
Published on 30/08/2012 15:32

MENTAL health issues at work are estimated to cost Scottish employers over £2 billion every year - an average £970 per employee.

Four in ten sick days are now taken by staff with a mental health problem and one in six employees are liekly to suffer from a condition such as stress, depression or anxiety, mental health charity Health in Mind revealed.

The charity revealed the figures as it launched a new service offering businesses an innovative scheme, called Resolve, to help people get back to work to continue to work or get back to their jobs sooner.

Chief Executive Gwenn McCreath said the aim of Edinburgh-based Resolve was to support employees to develop strategies to get back to work.

She said: “This approach is completely different in that employers know up front what the costs are and the length of time involved. Employees receive a tailored package which develops the employee’s coping strategies.

“The approach is solution focussed and at the end of the period, they have a set of bespoke materials to help them move forward.”