Workplace pressure is a major contributing factor to mental health issues among business leaders, according to a new survey from the Institute of Directors, published on Time to Talk Day 2019. Among the 500 directors and managers polled, more than half said they had experienced poor mental health that was in part connected to factors such as a lack of work life balance and heavy workloads.

According to the respondents, greater engagement with peer networks was seen as the best way to address the problem, with over-two thirds saying they had shared or would be willing to share their personal experience with mental health issues with peers outside their organisation. The IoD is today [Thursday] relaunching its mental health campaign, updating its range of resources for businesses with an emphasis on the wellbeing of directors themselves and holding multiple events across the country on the subject.

The survey also revealed that although most business leaders had been approached by staff about mental health problems, almost half said mental health and wellbeing was not actively promoted in their organisation, while only a quarter were able to offer mental health training for management. The main reason for this was a lack of appropriate information and guidance, outstripping lack of time and lack of financial resources put together, and fewer than a quarter felt there was enough clear support available for employers.