Starting your first job after uni is the beginning of a whole new phase of life. Yet, while student mental health topics are widely discussed, studies on graduate mental health are few and far between. Searching online reveals no studies on UK graduate mental health specifically, so This Is Fresh is here to unveil key information around this important topic.

Young professionals experience more mental health issues than other professional age groups

  Research shows that younger professionals experience more work-related stress than those further into their careers.

  The most recently published NHS report shows 6.3% of 20-25 year-olds got in touch with mental health services over 2020-2021. This is an improvement on teenage mental health referral numbers, but is nonetheless the highest percentage for any working age group.

  A government study has found the 25-35s experience the highest proportion of work-related stress, depression and anxiety, with women twice as likely to experience this compared to men:

  – 4% of women aged 25-35 experience work-related stress, depression or anxiety

– 2% of  men aged 25-35 experience work-related stress, depression or anxiety

What are the most stressful jobs in the UK?

  Some graduate jobs are more stressful than others. Roles with high public interaction are associated with more stress: most prominently, healthcare, education, policing and customer service jobs have been found to be most stressful.

  In particular, teaching has been under the microscope recently, with schools struggling to fill vacant posts. A recent National Education Union survey shows:

  – 52% of teachers say their workload is ‘unmanageable’ or ‘unmanageable most of the time’, up 35% since 2021.

– State school teachers feel stressed at least 60% of the time.

Based on search trend data from SEMRush.

Tips from Fresh on looking after your mental health in your first grad role

For more information on Graduate Mental Health from This Is Fresh, please click here.

You can also find more information about support for mental health here.