Men still 'bottling up' work-related stress issues

November 2009

Many more men could be suffering from stress in the workplace than is currently believed, it has been claimed 

Recent research carried out by the consultancy firm Mercer found some 11.4 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of stress or depression 

Furthermore, the company's report also noted that rates for stress-related illnesses are twice as high among female professionals as they are among their male counterparts 

However, according to the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), this could just be part of the picture, with many men still refusing to admit to being stressed-out, despite the fact that employers are becoming increasingly understanding about the mental welfare of their workers 

'Men notoriously are used to being able to manage, there's a problem of pride - they find it difficult to express the words and seek help, there's a lot of issues," explained the ISMA's director Jenny Edwards 

'Men bottle it up a lot more, there's the macho image of being expected to cope. They don't want to look feeble. They're almost in a no-win situation 

This comes after the latest Labour Force Survey found that as many as 415,000 UK workers are now experiencing work-related stress at a level that is making them ill