Mental Health Guidance
In Spring 2026 ARA appointed Sharon McMeekin of Preserve Together to create this mental health guidance for the recordkeeping sector. Previous research had shown that 16 per cent of the recordkeeping workforce suffers from long-term health issues, and over a third of this population identifies that their illnesses affect their work. The recordkeeping sector has long been aware that the workforce is affected by vicarious trauma but research into more general areas of mental illness, anxiety and depression had been overlooked, this guidance seeks to address that gap.
This document was created by Sharon McMeekin of Preserve Together on behalf of the Archives and Records Association UK & Ireland. Published October 2026. Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International)
You can download a pdf of this guidance here.
Disclaimer
This guidance has been developed for informational and educational use only; it does not constitute professional medical advice and should not be used as a replacement for clinical diagnosis or treatment.
Introduction
According to a 2025 Office of National Statistics survey, mental health was the 3rd most common reason given for sickness absence from work in that year, accounting for 8.9% of occurrences [1]. A Health Foundation study found that mental ill health is the most common cause of work-limiting conditions for those aged 44 years and younger [2]. Whilst professional services consultancy firm Deloitte has estimated that poor mental wellbeing costs employers in the UK between £42 billion and £45 billion annually through issues like presenteeism, sickness absence and employee turnover [3]. The same research also reported that, on average, there is a positive return on investment of around £5 for every £1 spent on mental health support and interventions in the workplace. There is, therefore, both a need for organisations to support the mental health of their employees, and a clear benefit from doing so.
In addition to general workplace issues, recent community surveys have highlighted a number of mental health challenges that are specific to or disproportionately affect those working in the record keeping sector. Additionally, mental health issues have been shown to create barriers for those looking to enter the field and can impact on career development and progression.
In response, the Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) (ARA) has commissioned this guidance to help support their members and the wider record keeping community. It aims to provide a clear and practical framework for how organisations can support employees’ mental health and to provide specific guidance for those in roles with line management responsibilities. It is hoped that it will help managers promote good mental health for the employees they supervise and to help them support those experiencing issues. For records keeping professionals, this should lead to reduction in the occurrence of mental health issues such as stress and burnout, whilst encouraging a greater sense of belonging and increase motivation and job satisfaction. From an organisational perspective this can, in turn, reduce presenteeism, absences, and increase productivity.
When using the guidance, it can be consumed as a whole, but it has also been structured to allow readers to easily identify and locate sub-sections covering specific issues and activities relating to the support of mental health in the workplace. At the top level it has been split into three main sections:
Mental Health in the Workplace – offering foundational information on what mental health is, how it affects employees in the workplace, and the responsibilities of organisations as laid out in relevant legislation.
Organisational Initiatives to Support Mental Health – providing context for what support for mental health should look like at an organisational level.
Guidance for Managers – presenting specific guidance on knowledge and skills managers should look to develop and the steps they can take to support employees’ mental health.
While the guidance can not cover all situations that might occur, it does aim to provide a comprehensive framework for supporting mental health as well as offering a wide range of signposts to further information via the Appendices.
This guidance has been prepared by Sharon McMeekin of Preserve Together with support and input from a working group of record keeping professionals with lived experience of mental health issues and providing support to employees. Many thanks are offered to the working group members for their insightful contributions.
Footnotes
Mental Health in the Workplace
Organisational Initiatives to Support Mental Health
Guidance for Managers
Appendix One – General Mental Health Resources
Appendix Two – Support and Accreditation Schemes
Appendix Three – Training Providers
Appendix Four – Wellness Plan Example
Appendix Five – Disability Passport Example
