In the UK, mental­ill health is a major cause of absence from work, reduced work productivity, and employee turnover. It has been estimated that nearly 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem in any one year. Although the UK Department of Health recognizes that the full extent of the impact of mental health problems is underestimated, work-related stress has been identified as the second largest occupational health problem in the UK, with musculoskeletal disorders ranking first. The Mental Health Foundation states that half of all workdays lost through mental ill health are due to anxiety and stress conditions, many of which are work-related. In recent years, stress in the work environment has become a major concern for employees, employers, and the public at large.¹

In response to this concern the Health and Safety Executive has issued guidelines to assist employers manage work-related stress and has promoted continued research addressing workplace stress.² As described in this situation analysis, there is a growing debate among employers organisations, unions, and policy makers regarding the development and implementation of An Approved Code of Practice focusing on stress under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. A number of organisations and mental health advocates have called for a code of practice to guide employers about their responsibilities under the law and encourage them to take action.³

During the last ten years, the general response in the UK regarding all mental health issues has been proactive. As early as 1991, a government sponsored working group on the Health of the Nation identified a strategic approach in order to achieve and measure health gains in mental illness.⁴ Most recently, the government intends to produce a National Service Framework for mental health which will address mental health services and treatment throughout the UK.⁵ One of the aims of the National Service Framework will be to address the mental health needs of working adults.⁶ In terms of mental health and work, the Department of Health, taking the lead in 1994, produced a policy on mental health for its own employees. For a number of years, the Department of Health also convened an interagency group with representatives from the Trade Unions Congress, employers' organisations, the Health and Safety Executive, and other relevant organisations to co-ordinate activities related to mental health and stress in the workplace. The Health and Safety Executive has promoted the full integration of a mental health policy in all employers' health and safety programs. In addition, the National Health Service has co-sponsored conferences on the issue of mental health in the workplace.⁷

Employers of all sizes in the UK are increasingly acknowledging and accepting that the mental health of employees is a company concern. In a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey of over 800 companies, 98% of respondents recognized the importance of mental health to their employees⁸ and realised that there should b a mental health policy for staff. Yet, the situation analysis points out that most companies do not have an official policy on mental health. The Health and Safety Executive recommends that a mental health policy should be an integral part of any employer's health and safety policy. As we have seen, some large companies have developed policies that address the issue of mental health in the