Stress is...
“Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall wellbeing.” World Health Organization (WHO)
“The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.” Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Excessive pressures may come from a number of different sources. When their combined effect feels overwhelming, stress can occur. This means stress is not good for you – it is an unhealthy state of body or mind, or both.
For many years, people have referred to the fight or flight response as the stress response. However, fight or flight is a one-off reaction to a perceived challenge or pressure and, as such, is a safety response. It ensures the individual is alerted to possible threats and can take avoiding action.
If someone remains in this heightened state for too long, the body chemicals associated with fight or flight are constantly being stimulated. Over time, this may create symptoms of, or contribute to, ill health.
HSE Reports on Work-Related Stress, Depression of Anxiety
The Health and Safety Executive produces annual reports on Health and Safety at Work and on Work-related Stress, Anxiety or Depression Statistics.
These reports show that the main work factors cited by respondents as causing work-related stress, depression or anxiety include:
- Workload pressures, including tight deadlines.
- Too much responsibility.
- A lack of managerial support.
They also show that stress, depression or anxiety are more prevalent in public service industries such as education; health and social care; public administration; and defence.
By occupation, professional roles that are common across public service industries (such as healthcare workers, teaching professionals and public service professionals) show higher levels of stress compared with all jobs.
The latest report includes estimated prevalence rates of self-reported stress, depression or anxiety and estimated working days lost per worker due to self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
You can find an overview on the HSE website here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm and access the latest report Health and safety at work: Summary statistics for Great Britain 2024 on the same page.
HSE Resources
The HSE publishes a range of resources designed to help those concerned with stress at work, including publications, research and statistics, toolkits, templates and checklists. They can also offer advice on stress-related issues. Details of these resources can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/resources.htm.
Stress Policy
The HSE also has an example Stress Policy which duty holders can use as a basis for their own policy and then tailor to make it specific to their own needs. This example policy can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/assets/docs/examplepolicy.pdf
