Mental Health Awareness Week - Monday 11 May to Sunday 17 May

Mental Health Awareness week is organised annually by the Mental Health Foundation and is a major national event in the UK. It is one of the most high-profile public health campaigns in the UK, reaching millions of people through media, workplaces, schools and community events.

Generally, there is now a high level of understanding about mental health in terms of what constitutes good or bad mental health, with more awareness of ways in which to promote and sustain good mental health and how to provide support when poor mental health is an issue. However, awareness of mental health on its own is not enough. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is “Take Action,” focusing on moving beyond awareness to taking practical, positive steps for personal and community wellbeing and to reduce stigma. (Source: MIND. #NoMindLeftBehind).

Actions taken can be for yourself, by taking one positive step in support of your own mental health, or for someone else, by reaching out to offer support. This may be as simple as listening to someone and allowing them to share how they are feeling. They need not necessarily be major actions, as even a small action can have a significant impact.

Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from Monday, 11 May 2026 to Sunday, 17 May 2026 serves as an important reminder to open up conversations about mental health and work towards and maintain a supportive, inclusive workplace. It is an opportunity to reassess how mental health and wellbeing are handled within your business, to show your employees that they matter, and that you care about them. Employees may have access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as well as Occupational Health Services to gain support and appropriate counselling services.

A clear Well-Being Policy, setting out the company’s duty of care, commitment and responsibility to employees, as well as setting out positive steps it will take to ensure the good health and well-being of its employees and signposting resources and organisations that can provide support, is essential to fostering a mentally healthy culture.

Poor mental health is one of the biggest drivers of workplace absence with millions of workdays missed due to poor mental health. Even if not directly affected, most people are likely to know, or work with someone who is, or has been, affected.

Data shows that overall, only 74% of employees feel their employer is genuinely supporting their health and wellbeing. While younger employees (18-29) report a 70% satisfaction rate with workplace mental health support, this number drops to 62% among older workers aged 50-59.

As of early 2026, UK mental health services report record demand, with over 2.2 million people in contact with NHS mental health services in January 2026. The majority of these, 1.52 million, were in contact with adult mental health services and 485,675 new referrals were received. Key data shows one in four adults experience mental health issues yearly ranging from depression, stress and anxiety to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Rising cases are linked to economic factors and increasing anxiety among young people.

Women (20.7%) are more likely to experience common mental health problems than men (13.2%), with young women aged 16–24 at the highest risk (28.2%).

Strategies for improving an individual’s mental health

The Five Cs of mental health — Connection, Compassion, Coping, Community, and Care – offer a holistic framework for promoting resilience, reducing levels of stress, and improving overall emotional well-being. By nurturing these five elements, we as individuals can manage challenges more positively and maintain a balanced, fulfilling life:

Connection:Fostering and sustaining healthy relationships with friends, family and colleagues to encourage a sense of belonging and support and reduce loneliness.
Compassion:Being kind to yourself. This can reduce stress and encourage inner calm, especially during difficult times.
Coping: Developing healthy mechanisms such as mindfulness or breathwork to help manage feelings of stress and anxiety brought about by life’s challenges rather than relying on avoidance. Seeking professional help when you need it.
Community:Feeling connected to a wider group or support network, providing a sense of encouragement and shared purpose.
Care:Pro-actively prioritising self-care and seeking professional help when needed to nurture your physical, emotional, and mental health.

Practical Steps for Employers

Promote Open Conversations: Create and encourage a supportive culture within your business where employees can raise concerns free from discrimination or adverse reaction. Talking openly about mental health, well-being and stress, including substance abuse or misuse, helps to reduce sigma and is an important step in assisting both to improve existing issues and to reduce the risk of any concerns escalating.
Signpost Resources: Remind your employees of support they can access via your Employee Assistance Programme, if you have one. EAPs provide confidential help and support and many also offer one to one counselling services. Organisations such as Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/; Health in Mind https://www.healthinmind.org.uk/; National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK https://spuk.org.uk/national-suicide-prevention-helpline/; and Campaign against Living Miserably https://www.thecalmzone.net/ all offer support with mental health issues and some prioritise and support those who are experiencing a mental health crisis where immediate support may be required.

Train your Managers:* Ensure your managers are equipped with the confidence and knowledge they need to recognise signs of poor mental health (stress, anxiety, depression and crisis) and start conversations, where this is appropriate, with those in their teams.
Encourage a Good Work-Life Balance: Remind your employees on a regular basis that they should take breaks away from their workstations, take a lunch break and leave the building to get a bit of fresh air if possible. Employees should also be reminded to take their annual leave at regular points during the holiday year. Ensure they don’t feel they are expected as a matter of course to answer work calls or emails outside of office hours. Lead by example, ensuring directors, managers, team leaders all follow these steps.
Calm Spaces: Where this is practical, provide a staff room or rest room to encourage employees to move away from their workstation for a break during the day. This can also be accessed if they are experiencing poor mental health and need to step away from their desk for a while. Create areas that are calm, where employees feel they can relax.
Introduce Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) to your Workforce: An MHFA is an individual from within your workforce who will have received professional training which allow them to act as a first point of contact for someone in distress. They are trained to recognise early warning signs and they can provide initial support and reassurance and signpost their colleague towards professional help.

Contact Us

BarwellsHR are here to support you by providing friendly expert HR guidance on any employee-life cycle issues as and when they may arise.

*Mental Health & Wellbeing Training

We can provide in-person mental health and wellbeing training for your business. If you would like more information or an idea of the cost, please contact any member of the team using the contact details below.