Ben survey highlights rising mental health concerns

A new report from automotive charity Ben has revealed the extent of the mental health problem within the industry.

Launched to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the survey of 1,872 automotive workers found that 27% have reported issues managing mental health.

This compares to 16% of the wider UK workforce.

Mental Health

Incredibly, 99.6% said they have been impacted by mental health and wellbeing issues in the last year, with stress (56%), poor sleep (51%), anxiety (43%), and low mood (41%) the most comment challenges.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 respondents said they have money issues, which is contributing to their issues.

As a result, one in seven respondents said they were considering leaving the sector, with 29% saying poor pay was a key motivator.

• 56% – stress
• 51% – poor sleep
• 43% – anxiety
• 41% – low mood

Rachel Clift, health and wellbeing director at Ben, said: “Mental health issues are affecting one in four of our automotive family and we can see that money worries are contributing to this. More people are struggling with cost-of-living pressures, with issues such as skipping meals and debt on the rise. Of course, this is likely to have an impact on their overall health and wellbeing, including both their physical and mental health.

“On the back of these results, we want to make sure that everyone who works, or has worked, in the automotive industry knows we’re there for them, so please get in touch if you’re struggling.”