A new study has unveiled the most stressful jobs in the UK, with police officers and social workers emerging as the top two jobs most likely to negatively impact mental health.
The research, conducted by personal injury experts Claims.co.uk, analysed data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to determine the prevalence of self-reported stress, depression, or anxiety caused or worsened by employment.
The study found that police officers, particularly constables and sergeants, experience the highest levels of job-related mental health issues, followed closely by social workers.
Police Officers: The Most Stressful Job in the UK
According to the data, 6,500 out of every 100,000 police officers in the UK have reported mental health problems linked to their job. This equates to approximately 11,000 out of the 169,231 police officers employed in the country, meaning 6.5 percent of the total police workforce is affected. This rate is an alarming 242 percent higher than the national average for job-related mental health issues.
Social Workers Rank Second
Social workers came in second, with 6,100 per 100,000 employees reporting mental health difficulties caused or worsened by their jobs. This rate, representing 6.1 percent of the 114,754 social workers across the UK, is 221 percent above the national average. The nature of the profession, often involving high-stakes decision-making and exposure to emotionally taxing situations, contributes significantly to the stress levels faced by social workers.
Other High-Stress Professions
Other professions that made the top ten include welfare and housing professionals (5.81% affected), community nurses (4.7%), and other nursing roles such as clinical leads and occupational health nurses (4.2%). Higher education teaching professionals, including university lecturers, also face significant mental health challenges, with 4.14 percent of the workforce affected.
Primary and secondary education teachers ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, while human resource managers and national government administrators completed the list of the top ten most stressful professions in the UK.
The Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs in the UK
| Rank | Profession | Estimated People Affected | Total Workforce Employed | Rate per 100,000 | % of Workforce Affected | Increase Over National Average |
| 1 | Police Officers (Sergeant and below) | 11,000 | 169,231 | 6,500 | 6.50% | +242% |
| 2 | Social Workers | 7,000 | 114,754 | 6,100 | 6.10% | +221% |
| 3 | Welfare and Housing Professionals | 8,000 | 137,694 | 5,810 | 5.81% | +206% |
| 4 | Community Nurses | 4,000 | 85,106 | 4,700 | 4.70% | +147% |
| 5 | Other Nursing Professionals | 16,000 | 380,952 | 4,200 | 4.20% | +121% |
| 6 | Higher Education Teaching Professionals | 9,000 | 217,391 | 4,140 | 4.14% | +118% |
| 7 | Primary Education Teachers | 16,000 | 414,508 | 3,860 | 3.86% | +103% |
| 8 | Secondary Education Teachers | 15,000 | 442,478 | 3,390 | 3.39% | +78% |
| 9 | Human Resource Managers and Directors | 7,000 | 212,121 | 3,300 | 3.30% | +74% |
| 10 | National Government Administrative Roles | 6,000 | 183,486 | 3,270 | 3.27% | +72% |
Nationwide Impact
Across all sectors in the UK, nearly two in fifty people (1.9%) report that their job has negatively affected their mental health, representing 636,000 people nationwide. This translates to a rate of 1,900 per 100,000 workers.
On the other end of the spectrum, bookkeepers, payroll managers, and wage clerks were found to experience the least job-related stress, with only 1,120 per 100,000 workers reporting mental health issues—a rate 41 percent lower than the national average.
The findings highlight the critical mental health challenges faced by workers in some of the country’s most essential and demanding professions, pointing to the need for greater support and resources to help alleviate stress in the workplace.
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.