UNLEASH - Solving HR’s Mental Health Crisis: Insights & Expert Commentary
- Felicity Baker
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
The HR Mental Wellbeing Report 2025, developed in partnership between Ultimate Resilience, Towergate Employee Benefits, and workplace wellbeing strategist Debbie Clarke, lays bare a stark reality: HR professionals are facing unprecedented levels of burnout, stress, and emotional exhaustion.
This article published by UNLEASH on July 7, 2025 discusses some of the headline findings from the report with the aim of solving HR's mental health crisis:
63% of HR professionals are “very likely” to experience burnout.
44% meet the clinical threshold for depression — far exceeding rates in the general population.
Many report working 50+ hours per week, experiencing compassion fatigue, and handling constant crisis management without adequate support.
HR Business Partners, DEI specialists, and Employee Relations roles are among the most affected.
Why This Matters
The findings make clear that HR’s challenges are not “typical” workplace stress. They stem from vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, caused by supporting others’ wellbeing while their own goes unaddressed.
The report warns that tokenistic wellbeing measures — such as wellbeing apps or one-off resilience sessions — fail to address these structural issues. Instead, organisations must take a systemic approach:
Redesigning roles to manage workloads sustainably.
Creating psychologically safe environments.
Recognising and rewarding the emotional labour inherent in HR.
Providing structured supervision and peer support.
Expert Commentary on Solving HR's Mental Health Crisis
Dr Jo Burrell, Clinical Psychologist, co-founder of Ultimate Resilience, and co-author of the report, emphasises:
“HR professionals often shoulder the emotional load of an entire organisation without equivalent support. Protecting their mental health isn’t a perk — it’s essential to organisational success.”
With over 25 years of NHS clinical experience and a focus on resilience training, Dr Burrell advocates for evidence-based wellbeing frameworks that shift the burden away from individual coping and towards systemic, cultural change.
Collaboration That Drove the Research
This landmark report is the product of a close partnership between:
Ultimate Resilience — bringing clinical psychology expertise and resilience-building strategies.
Towergate Employee Benefits — offering deep insight into employee wellbeing needs and organisational health.
Debbie Clarke — renowned workplace wellbeing strategist, ensuring findings are relevant, practical, and impactful.
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