A recent study has identified the UK’s most stressful jobs, with police officers, social workers, and welfare professionals topping the list. According to research from Claims.co.uk, which analysed Health and Safety Executive data, these roles are linked to the highest rates of stress, depression, and anxiety among workers.
The report reveals that police officers (sergeant rank and below) endure the greatest mental health struggles. With 6,500 officers per 100,000 reporting that their job has caused or worsened mental health issues, this rate is 242% higher than the national average. Out of an estimated 169,231 officers in this role, 11,000 reported mental health difficulties, equating to 6.5% of the total workforce. The role’s high stress is attributed to long hours, high public responsibility, and exposure to traumatic events.
Close behind in second place are social workers, with a rate of 6,100 per 100,000 employees reporting work-related mental health problems. This is more than double the national average (221%). Among an estimated 114,754 social workers, approximately 7,000 have struggled with mental health issues due to their demanding roles.
Third on the list are welfare and housing associate professionals, with 5,810 per 100,000 workers reporting job-induced mental health concerns—206% above the national average. Around 8,000 welfare professionals, from a total workforce of 137,694, have been impacted.
Other high-stress roles include community nurses (4th), with 4,700 per 100,000 affected, and other nursing professionals (5th), such as clinical leads and occupational health nurses, with a rate of 4,200 per 100,000. Both groups face stress levels well above the national average, primarily due to the physical and emotional demands of their roles.
Educators also feature prominently, with higher education teaching professionals ranking 6th. A rate of 4,140 per 100,000 university lecturers, professors, and tutors report mental health issues, 118% above the national average. Primary and secondary school teachers are also heavily affected, ranking 7th and 8th, respectively. Around 16,000 primary school teachers and 15,000 secondary teachers report work-related mental health problems, primarily due to the pressures of high workloads and limited resources.
Human resource managers take the 9th spot, with 3,300 out of 100,000 workers reporting stress-related mental health issues—74% higher than the national average. National government administrative workers round out the top ten, with a rate of 3,270 per 100,000.
On average, across all industries in the UK, 1.9% of workers report their job negatively impacts their mental health, equivalent to 1,900 per 100,000 residents. This totals an estimated 636,000 workers nationwide suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety related to their work.
Conversely, the study identified bookkeepers, payroll managers, and wage clerks as holding the least stressful jobs. Just 1,120 per 100,000 in these roles report mental health issues, a figure 41% below the UK average.
A spokesperson for Claims.co.uk emphasised the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace: “These findings highlight job roles that detrimentally affect mental health. Offering support such as mental health resources and promoting flexible working arrangements can help alleviate work-induced stress.”