The latest data on rail’s mental health trends, challenges, and progress
The report includes data from our Health Insights dashboard. It shows that mental health has consistently been one of the top five reasons for both self-reported sickness and occupational health absences.
It also revisits findings from the 2020 Rail Mental Health Survey, which revealed:
- 1 in 3 rail workers met the criteria for a clinical mental health condition (compared to 1 in 6 in the general population at the time).
- Anxiety levels were 1.5 times higher than in the wider UK workforce.
- 10% of rail employees showed signs of PTSD (twice the national average).
The report also points to several contributing factors, including:
- organisational change
- shift patterns
- stigma and presenteeism
- gaps in line manager training.
Before the September 2024 benchmarking round, another survey was carried out. It looked at:
- how much organisations are investing in mental health and wellbeing
- changes in funding over the past five years
- existing policies and support systems
- how data is being used to measure impact.
The results revealed that many organisations have increased their health and wellbeing budgets and are improving how they collect and use data which indicates the industry is making steady progress in tackling mental health challenges. We will continue to support collaboration and share insights to help build a healthier, more resilient workforce.
Read the full report here.