Earlier this month, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) released its report Growth Through People: Making Health Work, issuing a stark warning: the UK is facing a workplace health crisis that is undermining productivity, constraining growth, and compounding labour shortages. One of the most striking insights in the report is that mental ill health is particularly high among young people entering the workforce - and this is not a temporary post-pandemic spike. It is a long-term trend.
At the same time, new data from the education sector shows that this is a challenge already visible years before young people step into their first jobs - and it isn't going away.
The Student Mental Health Crisis Is Becoming a Workforce Crisis
The House of Commons research briefing Prevalence of mental health issues among university students shows a dramatic increase in mental health concerns before students even enter employment:
- The proportion of students disclosing a mental health condition to their university rose from less than 1% in 2010/11 to 5.8% in 2022/23.
- This is almost certainly under-reported:
- A 2022 Student Minds survey found 57% of students self-reported a mental health issue.
- 27% said they had received a clinical diagnosis.
For most students, university lasts just three to four years. After that, these young people transition directly into the labour market as new entrants, trainees, apprentices, and graduates.
In other words: the surge in poor mental health among young adults today is not a future workforce issue — it is already here.
Why This Matters for Employers
The graduates entering the workforce today are more skilled, more diverse, and more purpose-driven than any generation before.
The message is clear: today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. The growing prevalence of mental health difficulties in higher education is not simply a student welfare issue—it is a warning for employers and workforce planners.
This comes full circle with the BCC report. The evidence suggests that workplace health strategies must evolve to meet the needs of a new generation of employees who are entering work with higher rates of diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health conditions than previous generations. We should expect:
✅ Rising mental health support needs among early-career employees
✅ Greater demand for supportive line management and workplace adjustments
✅ Higher risk of sickness absence, presenteeism, and early exit from roles without intervention
✅ Increasing pressure on employers to provide mentally healthy workplaces - mental health support is no longer a wellbeing “perk”, but a core workforce capability requirement
✅ Proactive investment in mental health support, early intervention, inclusive management practices, and job design will increasingly define employers of choice
✅ Organisations that fail to adapt may face rising turnover, talent shortages, lower productivity, and reduced competitiveness
This signals a major shift in employer responsibility. Mental health support is no longer a wellbeing perk — it is a workforce strategy. Talent retention, productivity, and business growth now depend on it.