More than 40% of buy-side traders surveyed in the BTC’s latest report (2024-2025) confirmed that they personally know traders who have left their trading roles due to mental health issues – a slight improvement from 2023 where the number was over 50%, yet it remains startlingly high.
In honour of world mental health day, 10 October, The TRADE has taken a deeper look at this buy-side insight to understand the current state of play in more detail.
Speaking to their personal experience, one trader affirmed that “mental health needs to be talked about more in the industry – too many people are suffering in silence,” adding that what is needed is more structured programs in the workplace to help address issues.
Indeed, the demands facing the trading community has arguably never been so consistently high, with volatility and market uncertainty making for a difficult and turbulent time in recent months (and arguably years).
“The pressure has never been higher than now to be effective, cut cost, innovate, learn new things but at the same time have the same heavy workload,” explained one buy-sider.
Another added: “Trading desks can be/are high pressure environments. Sometimes this is not suitable for all people. There needs to be a degree of self-introspection from the individual as well as understanding from senior management and HR within firms who may not understand what happens on a trading desk.”
Indeed, the BTC survey found that ‘stress and pressure’ was the most common ‘trigger to negative mental health at work’ among the buy-side community, with 50% highlighting it as the main concern. This was closely followed by ‘fear of losing employment’, and ‘lack of work/life balance’.
Interestingly, one respondent suggested that the fact that managers “aren’t trained or rewarded for good management,” and are instead “profit driven” was a key factor to consider.
Addressing the importance of prioritising mental health in order to ensure retention, Graham Sorrell, managing director, head of EMEA and APAC equity and currency trading at SSGA, said: “Supporting mental health in the workplace builds resilience, creativity and lasting success.
“When organisations and individuals prioritise wellbeing, they create environments where people can truly grow and thrive.”
Read more: “They’re the perfect trader”
When it comes to the empirical side of things, buy-side respondents highlighted several areas where easy wins could, and have been, made by firms, among them: suggestions for mandatory time for exercise or meditation, shortened trading hours to attract new staff, and placing an importance on team spirit and company culture.
The fourth annual BTC benchmarking survey is set to release in November 2025 and includes insights from more than 70 heads and global heads of trading at asset managers and hedge funds globally.
“Whilst we are at a point of huge change and rapid paced evolution within the finance industry and trading particularly, it is interesting to note that similar triggers to negative mental health exists as have existed for some time,” said Jeremy Ellis, former head of European equity, T. Rowe Price, reflecting on the findings.
“The stress and pressure that is highlighted as a key trigger partly comes with the territory but it is great to see individuals noting not only more continued flexibility in working practices (WFH etc.) but more opportunities to get away from the desks for exercise or reflection helping improve that key work/life balance. It is also incredibly positive to witness the continued growth of individual firms and across the industry in raising mental health awareness, education and training, long may that continue.”