Don’t let downturn damage staff health

If the ongoing economic crisis wasn’t a gloomy enough way to start 2009, GP surveillance data shows that the number of flu cases is heading for a nine-year high, while the prediction of a new epidemic of an Australian flu virus threatening the UK has many braced for the worst.

Unfortunately, dreading the worst would appear to be a part of the problem, with two-thirds of workers claiming they feel more stressed, run-down and prone to illness since the credit crunch. This is unsurprising given that increased stress and anxiety brought about by financial and job insecurity are having a direct impact on our health, owing to increased levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – suppressing our immunity and making those feeling the pressure more susceptible to bugs.