This article contains themes of mental ill-health and suicide, which some readers may find upsetting.
“Hello friend, there are better days coming,” reassures a stranger in their letter published on reasonstostay.co.uk.
Founded by mental health campaigner Ben West, Reasons to Stay is a suicide prevention website which delivers random letters of support from strangers to those struggling with their mental health.
Having lost his 15-year-old brother Sam to suicide in 2018, Ben states in a TikTok video that he set up the website to “provide people in Sam’s position with a moment of hope, of warmth, of kindness”. Since its launch in January 2026, the website has delivered over one million letters, demonstrating how deeply it has resonated with people around the world.
The prevalence of mental ill-health
One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point each year in England, making mental illness a common health concern and helping to explain why initiatives like Reasons to Stay resonate so widely. In 2024, 5,717 suicides were registered in England, with males three times more likely than females to die by suicide (17.1 per 100,000, compared to a female suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000). As Ben explains in a LuxeGen interview, “This idea that men have to be tough and men have to be stoic and get on with things […] does still exist.”
In fact, almost 90% of people with mental health problems believe that stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives. Stigma and prejudice around mental ill-health seep into the workplace, too. In 2024, one in five employees took time off due to mental health issues. But despite mental health problems being common in the workplace, 73% of UK employees feel unable to disclose mental ill-health for fear of jeopardising their careers, evidencing the underlying stigma.
The human response to Ben’s project – why it went viral
When we consider the drivers behind the viral response to Reasons to Stay, several social and emotional factors are at play.
1. Reasons to Stay taps into empathy. Many of the contributors to Reasons to Stay share their personal experiences with mental ill-health. “There are times when everything feels like effort,” empathises one stranger in their letter. The website not only offers those in need a message of support, but allows the contributors to reflect on their own mental health journeys, share their experiences, and offer hope that things will get better, as one person writes, “This moment will pass”.
2. The website pulls on the human need for connection. According to American psychologist Abraham Maslow, one of the fundamental human needs – after physiological needs, such as food and water, and safety needs, such as shelter – is the need for love, belonging and community. FAIRER MD Dan Robertson says, “We know that belonging has a direct impact on people’s sense of self, which is why it's baked into our training programmes. Belonging is not a nice to have – it’s central to business performance.”
3. Reasons to Stay shatters the stigma around mental health conversations. According to Mind, public understanding of mental health has declined, with 2024 knowledge levels dropping below those seen in 2009. Furthermore, fewer people are willing to work with someone with a mental health problem (77% in 2023 compared to 74% in 2024), suggesting growing misunderstanding, stigma and discrimination.
Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders, with up to 10% of people in England experiencing it during their lifetime. Common symptoms of depression include avoiding socialising, reduced self-esteem and not getting enjoyment out of life – which can largely reduce one’s sense of belonging in society. Reasons to Stay reports that 81% of its visitors felt “much better” after reading a letter, suggesting the positive impact of connection and feeling heard and understood.
In the same LuxeGen interview, Ben West admits, “There’s a part of me deep down that still feels uncomfortable talking about my emotions.” Despite his discomfort, he is actively working to break down the stigma and silence around mental health conversations via his social media channels and website.
Reasons to Stay offers a quiet corner of the internet, allowing those in need of support to access it discreetly and safely, while still offering validation, a space to feel, be heard, and understood – away from the stigma, judgement and discrimination so commonly seen in society and the workplace.
Workplaces are a microcosm of society – organisations need to do more to support
The symptoms and challenges of mental health conditions aren’t left at the door when employees enter the workplace. Despite this, almost three quarters of employees feel unable to disclose their mental ill-health for fear of negative consequences, which can perpetuate feelings of isolation, the need to cover (hide parts of their identity), and prevent them from receiving adequate support.
For many, a large proportion of time is spent at work. Thus, the workplace can also shape identity, feelings of belonging and social relationships. As such, organisations play a critical role in either perpetuating stigma around mental ill-health or creating environments where people feel psychologically safe to speak openly about their experiences. “When people feel psychologically safe to express a wealth of diverse ideas, views and experiences, individuals overcome self-doubt and perform to the best of their ability,” says Dan Robertson.
Furthermore, FAIRER Consulting conducted an online survey via LinkedIn, asking participants how comfortable they felt expressing their opinions at work. Only 10% said they felt very comfortable, with a startling 24% saying they felt very uncomfortable due to fear of judgement, lack of trust, previous negative experiences, fear of their career being affected, and fear of a lack of anonymity. "People cannot thrive if they are scared to speak up," warns Dan Robertson.
The role of inclusive leaders
Leadership behaviour is a key factor in shaping whether employees feel safe enough to talk about their mental health. Inclusive leadership is the practice of leading with awareness, empathy and fairness, calling out bias and discrimination in favour of a culture where difference is valued, voices are respected and employees feel supported.
Promoting psychological safety is key to encouraging employees to be their authentic selves. Leaders must model by example, showing vulnerability by sharing their own experiences, demonstrating empathy and creating safe and judgement-free spaces for open dialogue.
Empathy is a critical skill of an inclusive leader. Leaders who actively seek to understand employees’ experiences help to normalise conversations around mental health, and demonstrate that seeking support is acceptable. FAIRER DEI Consultant Alice MacDonald warns against the alternative: “When leaders default to safety, conformity or silence, they often teach others to do the same.”
Building the capabilities of an inclusive leader
Initiatives like Reasons to Stay illustrate the impact of simple acts of human connection. A letter from a stranger can provide hope, validation and support in moments of distress, but the popularity of such initiatives also raises an important question: why do so many people need to seek belonging and understanding outside of the environments they engage with daily?
Organisations should not be expected to replace professional mental health support, but they should seek to create cultures that reduce stigma and exclusion, and encourage employees to seek support without fear. When organisations promote inclusion, fairness and psychological safety, they help to create workplaces where employees feel valued as people, not just workers.
Mental health support resources
Explore practical ways to support employees’ mental health by downloading our mental health support checklist, which outlines 18 ways to help make your workplace more inclusive of mental health needs. These include:
- Host regular wellbeing check-ins with your team to promote open communication.
- Offer flexible working policies to support work-life balance and help reduce stress.
- Conduct anonymous wellbeing surveys to track organisational culture.
- Appoint mental health first-aiders to act as advocates for mental health awareness.
- Call out exclusionary language that leads to mental health stigma (e.g. “man up”).
View our complete mental health support checklist for employers.
Additionally, download our directory of tools and resources designed to provide mental health support for diverse employees.
Let’s work together
“Ben West’s website reinforces the notion that connection is a basic human need. The challenge for organisations is to ensure that employees have the opportunity to experience that sense of belonging within the workplace,” says Dan Robertson.
Our inclusive leadership training helps leaders build the skills to do just that, teaching perspective-taking, the role of emotional intelligence, and the importance of inclusion. After all, the need for connection is universal – but workplace culture determines whether people feel they truly belong.
To learn more about our inclusive leadership training, get in touch to book a complimentary one-to-one chat with one of our consultants.
