Women aged 55 and over are losing more workdays to mental health issues than any other group in the UK, according to new analysis of national workforce data.
On average, each woman in this age group misses 1.31 days a year due to stress, depression or anxiety, a rate nearly 70% above the national average.
Mental health-related absence among women in this demographic also accounts for 63% of all their sick days, the highest total across any age or gender group in the workforce.
The findings, based on Health and Safety Executive data analysed by online therapy service Man Confidence, suggest a growing mental health burden on older women that’s not being adequately recognised or addressed by employers.
Mental Health Absences Skew Heavily Female
Across all age groups, women lose more workdays to mental health issues than men, the data show. Female workers miss an average of 0.91 days per year due to stress-related illness, compared with just 0.44 days for men.
“Women are consistently taking more time off for mental health reasons across all age brackets, apart from those aged 16-24,” said Man Confidence psychologist Dr Junaid Hussain. “What’s particularly striking is that while women over 55 show the highest absence rates, men in the same age group show much lower rates.”
Men over 55 lose just 0.48 days per year to mental health concerns, and only 28% of their sick leave is related to mental health. In contrast, younger women aged 25–34 lose 0.9 days per year, with nearly 74% of their absences due to stress, anxiety or depression.
Young Women Still Struggling in Silence
While women aged 16–24 recorded the lowest number of mental health sick days (0.4 days), the figure made up 85% of all absences in this group, which is the highest proportion. It suggests that while younger women are struggling with mental health, many may not be taking sufficient time off to recover.
Dr Hussain warned that lower absence figures among men may mask deeper issues.
“What’s equally concerning is that while men take far fewer mental health sick days, they face three times higher suicide risk than women, as per the Office for National Statistics. This likely indicates that men aren’t seeking help or taking time off when they need it, instead pushing through mental health struggles at work.”
Dr Hussain added that “employers need to create supportive and human-first environments, which could lead to less work-related stress and anxiety among their employees, and help all workers to feel comfortable addressing mental health concerns and the need for some time off work to properly deal with these issues.”
What Employers Can Do Now
With stress, anxiety and depression accounting for 55% of all lost workdays across the UK workforce, experts say it is time for organisations to adopt more inclusive and proactive approaches. Recommendations include:
- Normalising conversations around mental health across age and gender
- Tailoring wellbeing programmes to meet the needs of older women
- Addressing life-stage challenges such as menopause, caring responsibilities and job insecurity
- Ensuring all employees feel safe to seek help without stigma