Older workers enduring a ‘silent workplace mental health crisis’

A new poll from workplace mental health provider Unmind claims to highlight significant generational, gender, and role-based divides in attitudes towards workplace mental health and emerging technologies like AI. The study of 2,500 employees across the UK reveals that older workers feel particularly excluded from conversations around mental health, with stigma proving the biggest barrier to accessing support among this demographic.

While there’s a lot of noise around Gen Z in the workplace, when it comes to mental health support, older employees feel overlooked. Fewer than four in ten (39 percent) of 55-64-year-olds believe their managers are well-equipped to support mental health, compared to three in five (60 percent) of 18-24-year-olds. Older employees may feel their mental health needs are neglected, particularly as employers often focus their wellbeing initiatives on the more visible challenges faced by Gen Z workers.

For older workers, stigma serves as the biggest obstacle to talking about mental health. More than half (51 percent) of employees aged 55-64 say stigma is the main reason they avoid using mental health resources, compared to just under three in ten (29 percent) of 18-24s. As employees remain in the workforce later into life, these findings underpin the need for businesses to consider the specific challenges faced by older employees, such as age-related stress or career transition difficulties.

A question of trust

Generational differences in attitudes towards workplace mental health extend to the use of AI. Over four in five (82 percent) of Gen Z workers believe AI will significantly transform workplace mental health by 2030, reflecting a familiarity and comfort among younger generations that have grown up with the technology. However, this optimism drops sharply among those aged 65 and over, with just over half (52 percent) seeing AI as significant. Likewise, almost a third (31 percent) of 18-24s believe mental health interventions should be primarily AI-led by 2030, compared to just 10 percent of 55-64s.

The data also reveals a gender gap, with 83 percent of men believing AI will be important for workplace wellbeing compared to 71 percent of women. With older workers and women more sceptical of AI mental health tools, understanding and addressing this disparity will be crucial for businesses looking to develop rollout plans that build trust and ensure accessibility for all their employees.

The survey suggests that apprehension about AI is gradually being replaced by an appetite to engage with the technology. Across all demographics, concerns regarding compliance with regulations and legal requirements dropped significantly from 33 percent in 2024 to 25 percent in 2025. Similarly, worries about integrating AI with existing HR systems and workflows have decreased from 31 percent to 20 percent.

While Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) remain a key part of workplace mental health strategies, 34 percent of respondents feel that they are no longer relevant, bringing into question the suitability of EAPs in their current form. Their effectiveness is also viewed differently across organisational levels; while 83 percent of C-suite leaders believe EAPs are effective, this drops to just 62 percent of managers.

Only 59 percent of employees aged 55-64 rate EAPs favourably, compared to over three quarters (76 percent) of 25-34-year-olds, reinforcing the notion of a silent mental health crisis among older workers. These discrepancies likely reflect differences in access and engagement of these groups with EAPs, suggesting businesses must ensure that their EAPs are up to date and relevant, and equally accessible for all employees, regardless of age or role.