Are We Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Our Leaders?
By Louise Dennison O’Shaughnessy
We have become much better at asking leaders to look after the mental health of their teams. We are not always as good at asking who is looking after theirs.
Managers, team leaders, HR professionals and business owners are expected to notice when someone is struggling, create supportive environments and know when to point people towards help. But how often do we ask how they themselves are doing?
Leaders are still human. They carry the same worries and pressures as anyone else, alongside the additional weight of responsibility.
Deloitte’s 2025 research found that 40% of managers said their mental health declined after moving into a leadership role.
Gallup’s 2026 global paints a similar picture, with senior leaders reporting higher levels of stress, sadness and loneliness than individual contributors.
In my own work, I see how leadership can change a conversation almost as soon as a manager and their team share a room.
Staff can become a little quieter. They may look towards the senior person before answering or become more conscious of saying the “right” thing. Sometimes the leader does the opposite and deliberately sits back, observing rather than participating.
Nobody is doing anything wrong. Hierarchy simply changes the dynamic.
And if that can happen during an ordinary workplace conversation, imagine what it can mean when the subject is someone’s own mental health.
Speaking up can feel particularly risky when you are the person everyone else relies upon. A leader may quietly wonder: If I admit that I am struggling, will people question whether I am still capable of doing my job?
Mental Health UK’s 2026 Burnout Report found that more than one in three workers do not feel comfortable raising high or extreme levels of stress with their manager. Creating a policy or offering confidentiality is important, but neither automatically creates the psychological safety someone needs to actually speak.
The answer is not necessarily another corporate wellbeing initiative.
It starts with creating a culture where these conversations are normal, where asking for support is not confused with an inability to lead, and where managers are given the skills and language to support their people without neglecting themselves.
That is something we focus on through EHS International’s Mental Health at Work for HR and Management course. The two-day recognised qualification is designed for directors, managers, team leaders and HR professionals, covering warning signs, practical tools and approaches to building a genuinely supportive workplace culture. It is available both in person and online.
You can find out more about the course and book through the EHS International website, or contact [email protected] for more information.
But there is also a question every organisation can ask now, without introducing a new policy or programme:
If you are asking your leaders to look after everyone else, who is looking after them?
And if you lead others, who do you go to?
How EHS International Can Help
Supporting workplace mental health means supporting the people who lead, manage and look after others too.
EHS International’s Mental Health at Work for HR and Management course gives directors, managers, team leaders and HR professionals practical skills to recognise mental health concerns, respond appropriately and help create a workplace culture where people feel able to speak.
For organisations looking for broader, ongoing support, our Workplace Wellbeing Partnerships can help embed mental health and wellbeing into everyday organisational culture through leadership guidance, management support, employee engagement and tailored wellbeing programmes.
To discuss the right approach for your organisation, contact the EHS International Mental Health and Wellness team at [email protected].
About the Author
Louise Dennison O’Shaughnessy is Director of Mental Health and Wellness at EHS International. She works with leaders, managers and organisations to develop practical, sustainable approaches to workplace mental health and wellbeing.
Her work focuses on helping organisations give managers the confidence, skills and support they need to respond to mental health challenges in the workplace, while recognising that those responsible for supporting others also need appropriate support themselves.
Resources for Those in Need of Mental Health Support
Having access to the right support at the right time can make all the difference.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, the EHS International Mental Health Hub provides links to trusted organisations offering crisis intervention, counselling and ongoing mental health services.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis and requires immediate support, please contact an appropriate crisis support service.
Samaritans provides confidential, non-judgemental emotional support 24 hours a day. Call 116 123 free of charge in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
