A recent study has highlighted the most stressful jobs in the UK, with police officers and social workers ranking as the top professions most likely to negatively impact mental health.
The analysis, conducted by personal injury experts Claims.co.uk, examined data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to identify the prevalence of self-reported stress, depression, or anxiety caused or worsened by work.
Police officers, specifically those holding the rank of sergeant and below, were found to have the highest rates of work-related mental health issues. The study estimates that 6.5 percent of police officers—around 11,000 out of 169,231—report that their jobs negatively affect their mental health. This figure is a striking 242 percent higher than the national average, with 6,500 cases per 100,000 officers.
Social Workers Rank Second
Social workers closely follow, with 6.1 percent of the profession—approximately 7,000 out of 114,754—experiencing mental health issues linked to their jobs. This equates to a rate of 6,100 per 100,000 workers, which is 221 percent above the national average.
Other High-Stress Professions
Other professions highlighted in the report include welfare and housing associate professionals, with a 206 percent increase over the national average in work-related mental health issues. Community nurses, other nursing professionals, and educators at both primary and secondary levels also feature prominently on the list.
- Welfare and housing associate professionals: 5.81 percent affected, representing 8,000 workers.
- Community nurses: 4.7 percent affected, representing 4,000 workers.
- Other nursing professionals: 4.2 percent affected, representing 16,000 workers.
- Higher education teaching professionals: 4.14 percent affected, representing 9,000 workers.
- Primary and secondary school teachers: Approximately 3.86 percent and 3.39 percent affected, respectively.
These roles, marked by high responsibilities, public-facing duties, and long hours, show significantly elevated rates of mental health struggles when compared to the national average.
Human Resources and Government Employees Also Affected
Human resource managers and government administrative workers are not exempt from the mental health toll. In these sectors, around 3.3 percent of HR managers and 3.27 percent of government employees report mental health issues, with rates 74 percent and 72 percent above the national average, respectively.
Nationwide Impact
Across all job sectors in the UK, almost two in fifty people (1.9%)—an estimated 636,000 workers—report that their jobs have either caused or worsened their mental health issues. This amounts to a rate of 1,900 cases per 100,000 residents.
In contrast, bookkeepers, payroll managers, and wage clerks were found to have the least stressful jobs, with only 1,120 per 100,000 workers reporting mental health struggles—41 percent below the national average.
A spokesperson from Claims.co.uk noted, “The findings bring to light job roles throughout the UK that detrimentally affect the mental health of employees. Police officers, social workers, and welfare and housing professionals are particularly vulnerable due to the high demands and public-facing nature of their roles.”
To mitigate these issues, the spokesperson recommended measures such as promoting mental health resources, offering flexible working arrangements, and encouraging open communication to help employees better manage work-related stress.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
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