Nearly half of the 3,700 Parliamentary staff employed by MPs experienced clinical stress similar to that of emergency service workers last year, a survey has suggested.
One in five Parliamentary staff said they feared for their own and colleagues’ safety, The Guardian has reported.
The survey of 357 members of MPs’ staff, said to be the largest of its kind, was carried out before the heightened tensions in Westminster over the Israel-Gaza war.
The survey found that 46% of staff met the medical threshold for psychological distress – more than twice the level in the general population.
Mental ill health
This was up from 42% reported in 2022, reflecting the increased pressure last year amid the fallout of global conflicts including in Gaza and Ukraine.
This is still nevertheless lower than the 49.8% recorded in 2021 when MPs were flooded with concerns from the public about the end of Covid-19 support measures such as furlough.
Nearly half said they frequently or always hid the nature of their work from others because they expected a negative reaction.
One said they were questioned about the state of the NHS by a nurse “as I was going in for an operation” after disclosing their job in politics.
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The survey also highlighted anxiety over the looming general election, with more than half saying they felt it would negatively affect their job, and 48% feeling unprepared to seek a new role.
A House of Commons spokesperson told the newspaper its members services’ team had a confidential hotline for pastoral care and other support.
