Delegates from NASUWT – The Teachers Union will today call for suicide prevention training to be introduced in all workplaces.
While suicides are one of the biggest causes of work-related deaths each year, they are not included in the Health and Safety Executive’s annual reporting or its inspection and protection regimes.
The NASUWT believes this exemption must be removed to help address the factors behind work-related suicides.
At the TUC Congress in Brighton, delegates will hear that the occupations with the highest risk of suicide and suicide attempts, include healthcare, education and other public sector workers.
The NASUWT’s wellbeing at work survey, completed by 12,000 teachers, found that 87% say they have lost sleep due to work-related worries, 85% report feelings of anxiousness and 84% report low energy levels.
One in ten teachers report that work-related stress has led to a relationship breakdown. Nearly a quarter (23%) report drinking more alcohol and 12% report the use of or increased use of antidepressants.
3% say they have self-harmed as a result of their work.
Nearly one in five (19%) said they had taken medication as a result of work-related stress and/or seen a doctor. More than one in ten (13%) said they had sought counselling.
86% of teachers told the NASUWT that they believed their job had adversely affected their mental health and 68% their physical health in the previous 12 months.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“Nobody should be brought to the brink of ending their own life because of their job.
“The previous government’s assault on the pay, conditions and other rights of teachers and other workers played a critical role in fuelling today’s mental health crisis.
“Dealing with the legacy of the last 14 years, the new government will need to deliver the new deal for working people and build a workforce plan that will secure decent working conditions and improve morale across all sectors, including education.
“The last Conservative Government failed to tackle the mental health crisis. More than that, they deliberately pursued policies that made matters worse – with a lack of investment in essential frontline services and support. This is the change the country voted for.
“It is no exaggeration to say that teaching is in the grip of a mental health emergency - the number of teachers having suicidal thoughts and attempting to end their own lives is on the rise.
“Ending the climate of excessive working hours, unsustainable workload demands, high-stakes inspection and accountability, pupil violence, and bullying employer practices must be a priority for the new government. But, Ministers must also now act swiftly to secure the social partnership that will ensure that the voice of the education workforce is at the heart of policy making.
“Putting worker wellbeing at the heart of the mission of the new government is key to fixing the foundations and building a brighter future for all.”
NASUWT National President Rashida Din said: “There can be no doubt that the rapidly rising numbers of suicides and attempts particularly by people within the working age population, particularly amongst healthcare workers, education and other public sector workers constitutes an emergency.
“If we are to turn the tide of this Mental Health Emergency, we must campaign for fully funded mandatory mental first aid training that includes suicide prevention.
“Suicide awareness and prevention must be bargaining priorities across all workplaces and we must lobby for increased funding for mental health services across all workplaces.”
