British Gen Z faces work disruption due to mental health crisis, says study
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — British Gen Z employees in their early 20s are now more likely to call in sick than 40-something Gen Xers, owing to skyrocketing rates of common mental disorders (CMD) like anxiety and depression.
The study by think tank Resolution Foundation found that over 34% of 18-24-year-olds suffer from such conditions, fueled by everyday pressures and the loss of youth welfare institutions. That figure is a steep rise from the 24% recorded in 2000.
Consequently, the number of young adults absent from work due to ill health has doubled in a decade, reaching 190,000. Women have been hardest hit, with Gen Z females 1.6 times more prone to sickness than male peers.
“Mental health problems are first and foremost personally distressing, but they also have a detrimental impact on employment outcomes, costing individuals, employers and the state dear,” the report said.
Our latest report finds that between 2021-22, over one-in-three 18-24 year olds reported symptoms of a common mental disorder.
This isn’t just a health crisis: their work and career outcomes are at risk too.
Read more: https://t.co/7tb2JTeQl7 pic.twitter.com/HHtq1cRuKZ
— Resolution Foundation (@resfoundation) February 27, 2024
Data from Vitality also showed that younger employees across levels in the U.K. are struggling with worse mental health and burnout than older generations, costing an estimated £138 billion (US$174.7 billion) in lost productivity every year.
Aside from more sick days, the productivity of young workers also dips under older managers, according to a study by the London School of Economics and Political Science and Protiviti.
“Youth worklessness due to ill health is a real – and growing trend; it is worrying that young people in their early 20s, just embarking on their adult life, are more likely to be out of work due to ill health than those in their early 40s,” the report added.
The think tank is calling for employers to hire more “mental-health aware” managers to address this growing trend and support the well-being of the next generation of workers.
On the other hand, Oxford University researcher William Fleming previously cast doubt on the efficacy of popular workplace mental health interventions. He concluded that companies should focus more on core working conditions like pay and schedules rather than wellness offerings to truly improve employee mental health.
