NABS H1 statistics, released today, reveal a growing mental health crisis among Adlanders.
Mental health-related calls to NABS now account for more than a quarter (28%) of all industry charity contacts and 66% of all emotional support calls; the latter represents an increase of 128% from 2021.
Calls to the NABS advice line are up 20% this year as people ask for urgent and unbiased support.
Emotional support remains the top overall reason people contact NABS, accounting for 41% of all calls, a whopping 61% increase from this time last year.
Requests for financial support remain in second place as a reason for contact, representing 14% of all calls.
However, a new third reason is disrupting NABS usage trends. While redundancy typically ranks among the top three reasons for contact, it has been replaced by a category that ranks third: workplace conflict.
Workplace conflict now accounts for more than one in 10 calls. This issue includes bullying and harassment, and his notable appearance in NABS statistics demonstrates a defiant return to office for hundreds of adlanders.
In another change, NABS therapy is now taking the lead over its popular grant service. Eleven people a month are now referred to specialized and personalized therapy by NABS’s expert support counsellors, where they can benefit from a minimum of seven free sessions to support them through a wide range of challenges.
The top three themes at NABS training sessions so far this year are race direction, race crossroads and confidence. Supporting the key NABS stats, more and more people are bringing up mental health issues in their training sessions.
Emerging trends that NABS and the industry need to monitor are work-life balance and tension between younger workers wanting to socialize more and the number of teams working from home, making it harder for people to mingle. .
Uzma Afridi, Head of Careers at NABS, says: “The last few years have been challenging and we find that clients are using their coaching space to talk about everything they’ve been through, even though it’s not necessarily what they had initially come to us. We are here to help you reflect on your experiences and how you can move forward with confidence.”
Sue Todd, CEO of NABS, says: “We all need to take note of the growing mental health challenges across the industry and, in particular, this suggestion that conflict in the workplace is on the rise. Pressure and change are often catalysts for a more challenging work environment and we have some headwinds that could create a perfect storm for people and organizations right now. Changing or mismatched expectations about ways of working; the significant movement and recruitment of people in new roles and the increasing financial pressures at the organizational and personal level create a heady combination.
“NABS is here to help, from providing one-on-one support for people who need an outside, neutral space to talk and share challenges, to providing learning programs aimed at helping managers become more effective and inclusive leaders.”
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