Midwives have been identified as the most stressed workers in the UK, scoring 8.8 out of 10 on a stress index.
- Workplace stress in healthcare is largely due to high demand, emotional intensity, and insufficient resources.
- Around 15% of British workers occupy stressful roles within the health and social work sector.
- Public administration jobs, including police and fire services, also show high stress levels.
- Mental health can be improved by fostering work-life balance and understanding personal stress triggers.
Midwives, according to recent research, endure the highest levels of workplace stress across the UK job market, registering an index score of 8.8 out of 10. This data, sourced from Go.Compare Life Insurance and the Health and Safety Executive, considers factors like working hours, salary, and reported cases of stress, anxiety, or depression. Midwives’ average annual salary is noted to be £40,040 for a 35-hour work week, though this is considered low when compared to other roles within the health sector.
The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression is significant, contributing to approximately half of all work-related ill health cases in 2023. The rising trend, exacerbated by the pandemic, is evident in the 2,590 instances per 100,000 workers reported. Health and social work professions feature predominantly in the top 10 most stressful jobs, which also include counsellors, community workers, and nurses.
Current workplace stress statistics highlight that 3.5% of workers in health and social care report significant stress levels, impacting roughly four million employees in this sector. Facing emotionally demanding scenarios with high responsibilities in under-resourced environments contributes to this stress, as explained by Dave Lewis from Rightsteps. He emphasises the difficulty midwives face due to unpredictable demands of their role.
In addition to options within health services, public administration and defence jobs are notably stressful. Fire service officers and police officers are among those in high-stress job lists. With 1.6 million individuals working in these sectors, a total of 5.6 million UK workers are employed in highly stressful roles.
Insights from Rhys Jones of Go.Compare underscore the profound responsibility facing healthcare professionals, particularly midwives, whose job stress not only affects professional performance but also carries over into personal life. The findings stress a need for better work-life balance and personal stress management strategies.
The study underscores the urgent need for improved strategies to manage stress in healthcare and public service professions.
