Stress and anxiety accounted for almost half of all mental health referrals received by specialist support provider RedArc over the past five years.
Between 2020 and 2024, 49 percent of all cases handled by the nurse-led support service were linked to stress and anxiety, making them the most common conditions requiring intervention. Other issues, including depression and mood disorders, PTSD and trauma, eating disorders and psychotic disorders, made up the remaining referrals.
RedArc said that while stress and anxiety are often spoken about casually, they can develop into serious medical conditions with debilitating effects such as panic attacks, insomnia and long-term physical health problems.
Christine Husbands, commercial consultant at RedArc, warned against downplaying the impact.
“Dismissing or downplaying stress and anxiety can prevent individuals from getting the help they need and contribute to worsening health and poor outcomes. It’s therefore vitally important that both insurers and employers recognise that these are legitimate medical conditions that require appropriate support and treatment,” she said.
The provider advised employers not to rely solely on self-referral counselling services to support workers. Husbands said that when employees are already struggling, they need specialist assessment to determine the right therapy and to support other aspects of wellbeing.
“When an individual is suffering with their mental health, support which includes an assessment from a professional ensures they get the right help,” she said. “And that help must then be sufficiently comprehensive to genuinely assist them on their path to recovery, and this generally means it needs to be one-to-one, personalised, and offered by a specialist.”
The provider said that effective interventions must be delivered by trained mental health specialists, who can provide accurate diagnoses and tailored support. Alongside therapy, this often requires addressing related issues such as sleep or physical health concerns, and signposting to charities or local support networks.
The service also emphasises the importance of building long-term resilience. Beyond immediate recovery, support should equip individuals with coping tools to help manage future challenges more independently.
