Healthy returns

Why it pays to invest in mental health

The numbers don’t lie

Investing in prevention-first, manager-led mental health and wellbeing programmes is proven to return dividends in reduced absenteeism, lower staff turnover, and a measurable boost in morale and productivity

The numbers tell the story

£51 billion

The cost of poor mental health each year to UK employers


x 5.6 ROI

Every £1 spent on organisation-wide awareness/culture initiatives typically returns £5.60. For early proactive support the return is £5, and for reaction support it’s £3.40. Basically, the earlier and broader the intervention, the better the return on investment


33.7 million

The number of working days lost in the UK in 2023/24 to work-related ill health or injury. Roughly half of those days were down to stress and/or depression


70%

The level of employees who say their manager impacts their mental health more than their therapist and doctor


59%

In a 2024 survey of 3,156 UK workers, 59% of those who left or planned to leave within 12 months said mental health/wellbeing issues contributed to the decision


1,750+

The number of courses MYB (as MMH) has delivered over the past seven years


21,000+

The number of people we have trained in mental health and wellbeing skills


21,000+

People we have trained in MHFA England products alone


9.7 out of 10

The not-so-average rating for our instructors from delegates who’ve attended our courses


Sources: Deloitte Mental Health & Employers Report 2024; Business Health Institute; PMC; HSE; Workforce Institute at UKG

Workplace wellbeing in action