Survey indicates half of Wales’ mental health workforce suffer burnout and distress

Stephen Price

A new report from Mind Cymru has found that as many as half of mental health professionals in Wales have experienced psychological distress (49%), burnout or exhaustion (59%), or are considering leaving their role altogether (53%).

The charity warns that Welsh Government plans to expand same-day mental health services must also deliver better support for the workforce providing them, in order for them to succeed.

Owen Baglow, a Ward Manager in a mental health inpatient unit, has experienced multiple periods of work-related stress and PTSD, at times leaving him unable to work for months.

Owen says: “Following a serious incident at work, I found myself reliving what had happened over and over again in my mind. I was called in during the night to support staff who were affected and struggled to switch off from the experience afterwards.

“I normalised it for a while, but I ended up struggling to sleep, having nightmares and becoming hypervigilant – all classic symptoms of PTSD. It wasn’t until a colleague pointed out that something wasn’t right that I sought help.

“The second time I experienced similar difficulties, I wasn’t able to access support as quickly as I needed it and was unable to work for more than five months.”

Owen says emotional support for mental health nurses qualifying today has improved. However, he also says pressures such as staffing challenges and patients requiring additional support, including housing and other social care arrangements before discharge, can continue to affect staff wellbeing.

Owen added: “It’s hard because we all have the same goal – helping people achieve the best possible recovery. The needs of patients coming into services are often increasingly complex, and we’re not always able to match those needs with the resources available. Mental health nurses wear many hats.

“We’re clinicians, advocates, risk managers, care coordinators and often the link between health services, housing, social care and families. Looking after people’s mental health is only one part of helping them rebuild their lives.”

Mind’s Professionals Survey for 2026 gathered responses from 1,313 respondents across England and Wales working in NHS, private, third and voluntary sector roles, 118 of whom were based in Wales.

Key challenges cited include inadequate staffing levels, high caseloads, the volume of administrative tasks, and people presenting with more complex and acute mental health problems at the point of access.

Forming part of its own report into the delivery of open access mental health services in Wales, called Opening Doors, Mind Cymru is calling for transitional investment to be made in existing services across the next three years.

The report also calls for recognition of the role voluntary sector services play in delivering on ambitions for open access mental health services in Wales, alongside tackling and eliminating inequalities.

George Watkins, Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer at Mind Cymru, said: “If we’re serious about getting people in Wales same-day mental health support, then the workforce delivering it must be supported and equipped to do so.

“Although just a snapshot, these findings support what we’ve been hearing in our research for years – that despite the best efforts of many dedicated healthcare professionals, the workload they’re facing is often unmanageable and unsustainable.

“Mind Cymru is wholly supportive of the Welsh Government’s ambition to offer same-day support to people for their mental health in Wales, but there’s much still to be done on the ground before the benefits can be felt at the point of delivery.”

Read Mind Cymru’s full report Opening doors: Ending the wait for better mental health support in Wales here