In-depth reports examining mental health inequality in the UK
Through research-led work, we're exploring population mental health across the four nations of the UK, the things that are contributing to inequalities, and what can be done to prevent people experiencing mental ill-health.
The latest report Employment and mental health inequality (September 2026) explores how workforce mental health and financial wellbeing have worsened over time, hitting people with a disability or health condition, young people and lone parents especially hard.
Reports
Employment & mental health inequality (September 2026)
The state of mental health inequality in the UK (June 2026)
Tackling mental health inequalities in the UK
Quotes from the reports
The mental health of the UK workforce is getting worse. One in five workers – 7.2 million people – are now facing poor mental health. This number has grown by 66% since 2009. Employment and mental health inequality, September 2026
Poor mental health has risen in the UK over the past two decades. This increase has not been experienced equally across all communities, leading to widening mental health inequalities within and between the four nations. The state of mental health inequality in the UK, June 2026
The four nations have followed strikingly different mental health trends over time. In Wales, a post-pandemic spike in poor mental health drove levels much higher than the UK average. Northern Ireland recorded the steepest recent rise in poor mental health, reversing a decade of better-than-average population wellbeing. England and Scotland have followed similar paths, falling between Wales and Northern Ireland. The state of mental health inequality in the UK, June 2026
Financial hardship is the strongest driver of mental health inequality. Disparities in mental health between those who are financially comfortable versus those who are struggling have significantly widened. The number of people in the UK experiencing financial insecurity has grown as well. Tackling mental health inequalities, November 2025