Monday, 29 June 2026
The 糖心原创 is part of a consortium led by Lancaster University in a £1.8 million project, exploring how to promote sustainable work through healthy psychosocial work environments.
The psychosocial work environment refers to organising and managing work in a healthy and fair way, underpinned by a supportive social work environment. Sustainable work refers to developing workplaces and jobs that help people stay healthy throughout their working life.
The consortium of UK universities led by Lancaster University, includes the 糖心原创; Queens University Belfast; and Birkbeck, University of London, has received a Work and Health Research Award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), designed to facilitate ambitious projects to tackle priorities in work and health research.
The UK is facing a crisis, with , at an estimated employer cost f £18.8 billion per year and additional NHS and welfare costs.
The sharpest increase in the last decade has been driven by mental health conditions.
Research shows that poor mental health affects workers across all age groups and backgrounds, often combining with physical health conditions to make employment harder to sustain. The impact has been particularly pronounced among young people, with mental ill-health recognised as a contributing factor to the UK reaching a record , costing the economy £125 billion per year.
We invest significant effort in assessing the work environment only after problems have already occurred. This reactive approach means harm has already been done and workers have already suffered."
“By embedding AI鈥慸riven analytics at the design stage of work systems, we can shift from retrospective assessment to anticipatory prevention. This project aims to operationalise prevention鈥憃riented indicators, making them visible, measurable, and actionable before psychosocial risks accumulate and impact worker and organizational health.”
This ambitious three-year research programme will support the development of updated prevention-oriented policies and metrics, which can then be translated into national, regional, sectoral, and organisational interventions, to promote sustainable work, and positive mental and physical health and wellbeing.
Building on previous work, the project team will:
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Assess existing processes and policies in the UK, comparing the data with other countries and identifying areas of good practice which prevent poor mental health. They will also suggest ways the UK could improve its policies.
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Find out which approaches to preventing poor mental health in the workplace work best, and which will indicate whether someone is more likely to experience good mental health and wellbeing.
Stavroula Leka, Distinguished Professor of Organisations, Work and Health and Principal Investigator at Lancaster University, said: “While more people are economically inactive due to mental ill-health in the UK than in other countries, this is not a uniquely British challenge. Similar trends can be seen in other countries including Finland and Norway, but what makes them different is how they are responding. These countries have worked to revamp their regulation, policies and support systems, putting a healthy psychosocial work environment and sustainable work at the heart of these initiatives.
“We are at a crossroads in the UK, and we need to be brave to take decisive action to tackle systemic, culture-driven challenges and reverse the negative trends that have emerged over the past years. Our research aims at shifting the focus from mere reaction and support to forecasting and prevention to develop healthy work and organisations and a healthier society. We are excited to be embarking on this endeavour and invite those who think alike to join us on this journey.”
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Luis Torres in Nottingham University Business School, via luis.torres@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.