As Daily Suicide Rates Surge, Business Psycholigst Urges UK Business Leaders to Absolutely Prioritise Employee Wellbeing in November

As the UK officially moves into its second national lockdown and the London Ambulance Service reports a surge in suicide attempts, Business Psychologist, Dannielle Haig advises businesses leaders that they need to closely monitor employee wellbeing and absolutely prioritise this throughout November.

The London Ambulance Service announced on last week that daily suicide rates in the capital have increased by nearly 70% since 2019 and more than doubled compared to 5 years ago. This frightening trend saw figures surge from a daily average of 22 related call outs in 2019 to 37 a day in 2020.

November is set to be a tough month with little opportunity to socialise outside of our households and many businesses and employees suffering hugely from the impact on the economy. Businesses need to consider the impact of this news on their employees and ensure their leaders are trained to monitor for early stages of mental health concerns and how to manage these.

Dannielle Haig, Business Psychologist and Owner of DH Consulting, added, “These figures from the London Ambulance Service are very upsetting and is so important that we do everything we can to help each other through this difficult period both in our personal and business life. As a business psychologist I have seen first-hand how this pandemic has affected individual’s mental health and I urge businesses to monitor all their employee’s mental health over the next month. The most efficient and effective approach to support your staff is by training and developing your senior team so they are aware and empathetic with their teams.”