Concerns around the cost of living are leading to a crisis in mental health, according to insurer Zurich, which revealed 25% more workers have called its employee helplines asking for support.
Analysis of calls to the insurer’s employee assistance programme (EAP) through group risk schemes, showed a 22% increase in helpline calls from workers struggling with their mental health in the 12 months to March.
There was a 22% increase in callers suffering from anxiety, a 20% increase in workers struggling with low mood, and a 32% increase in callers suffering from depression.
More than double the number of employees called Zurich’s programme citing financial worries in the year to March than in the previous 12 months.
The data indicates a 30% rise in the number of workers worrying about their taxes, while there was a 152% rise in callers considering or going through divorce or separation.
Nick Homer, head of group risk at Zurich UK, said: “Mental health struggles are a key contributor to workplace absence and it’s clear from these figures that financial pressures are contributing greatly to peoples’ worries.
“At a time when more people are unable to work through illness than at any time this century, it is in employers’ interest to offer proactive and preventative care to their employees who may be struggling.
“Early identification can lead to swifter intervention, in turn increasing the chance of the employee making a successful return to work.”