Residents now less stressed, according to figures

With yesterday marking National Stress Awareness Day, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that anxiety levels in Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant are lower than the national average.

Residents were asked to rate their personal anxiety levels out of ten, based on how they had felt the previous day.

Figures from Havant showed that residents are some of the least stressed in the whole of the UK, with a score of 2.16 – lower than that of residents from the Cotswolds and the Lake District.

Overall happiness in all four areas has also increased to an average of 7.72.

However, workplace stress is still a major issue – stress is the most common cause of long-term absence and the second most common cause of short-term absence.

Employment experts from Hampshire law firm Blake Morgan have urged employers to tackle the issue sooner rather than later.

Tim Forer, a partner in the employment team at Blake Morgan, said: ‘The Centre for Mental Health estimates that 91m days are lost each year due to mental health problems, at a cost to employers of £26bn a year or, put another way, £1,035 for every employee in the UK.

‘There is a need for employers to develop a more open workplace and to create a culture where people feel comfortable talking about their mental health.

‘It is also important to ensure that employees know what support is available, such as employee assistance or counselling helplines.’