Some jobs are obviously 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.

A new study by This Is Fresh, found that in particular, teaching is one of the most stressful jobs, and 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.

And it’s no secret that the healthcare industry has been under pressure during the pandemic, with over 100,000 vacant posts and 25% of staff suffering from anxiety, depression or stress. The study found that there are, on average, 570 stress-related searches from members of the healthcare community every month, over double the amount of the banking and finance industry – which was marked as the second-most stressful industry.

Online search trends show the UK industries associated with the most stressful jobs:

Based on search trend data from SEMRush.

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.

What to do if you need support

If you’re finding your job too stressful and feel overwhelmed, it’s important to speak to those around you, such as family, friends and loved ones. And don’t be afraid to reach out to mental health support services like those listed below:

  Mind – Information and support for a range of mental health issues

•   Helpline: 0300 123 3393
•   Email [email protected]
•   Website: https://www.mind.org.uk/

  Anxiety UK – Support for those diagnosed with anxiety

•   Helpline: 03444 775 774
•   Text service: 07537 416 905
•   Website: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/

  Mental Health Foundation  – Support and info on mental health problems

•   Website: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

  No Panic – Support for those affected by panic attacks and OCD

•   General helpline: 0844 967 4848
•   Website: nopanic.org.uk

  Samaritans – Support for those experiencing feelings of despair or depression

•   Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
•   Website: https://www.samaritans.org/

For more information on mental health within the workplace visit This Is Fresh.