Mind Your Health
in The
Workplace
2024 Mind health report
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace
Foreword | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Mindhealth
Why we prefer the term"Mind health"?
The report generally uses the term mind health rather than mental health to emphasize the positive objective of the study: To help break down the stigma still associated with mental illness that can prevent people from sharing how they feel or seeking medical help.
vs.Mental health
2
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace
| 3 | 4
"Younger people today seem disproportionately impacted by mind health issues than older generations"
- Patrick Cohen, CEO AXA Europe and Health
3 questions to Patrick Cohen,
CEO AXA Europe and Health
Foreword | 1 | 2
3
What are the key takeaways from this year's Mind Health Study?
Overall, the mind health state in our populations is a concern. For every three people who feel they are flourishing or getting by in life, there are two who are languishing or struggling. Indeed, the proportion of people who are struggling with their mind health has returned to 2021 levels, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Younger people today seem disproportionately impacted by mind health issues than older generations. Likewise, the gap between women and men continues to widen.
Which factors are holding back global mind health?
The study suggests that many people in need of mind health support are unaware of their need or unwilling to seek professional help due to stigma. Likewise, people at work don't recognize mind health issues - such as extreme tiredness, lack of sleep and anxiety - as work related. This disconnect around the perception and reality of mind health presents
an opportunity to raise awareness on a more broad approach to health, acceptance and assistance across society. How can we break the cycle of high demand and low service access, and high levels of societal stigma to more open communication on the individuals needs.
What message does the study send to employers?
The AXA Mind Health Study highlights a clear business case for caring for employees' mind health. Truly, companies have a role to play in supporting their employees to regain control over the future with
an optimistic outlook. When people's mind health improves, they flourish, and in turn, so do our businesses and economy.
Work can certainly have a positive role in people's lives. Let's continue working towards a better state of mind health for everyone. ■
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace
2 | 3 | 4
5Key take-aways
The study offers a wide number of insights into the current state of global mind health. Here are the headline conclusions from society and the workplace.
Foreword | 1 |
1. Mind Health Issues are globally on the rise
The Mind Health Index has deteriorated over the last 12 months, with fewer people flourishing and more struggling, demonstrating the continued importance of prioritizing mind health in the world today.
32%
the proportion of the population
experiencing mind health conditions
2. Young people are struggling
Amongst the general population, young people are still the most impacted. During the Covid-19 pandemic, much emphasis was placed on the deteriorating mind health of the population, particularly young people. Four years after the epidemic, the situation has not improved and continues to worsen.
39%
of 18-24-year-olds are experiencing severe or extremely severe forms of anxiety, stress or depression
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
3. The seriousness of mind health problems is underestimated, to the detriment of professional care
Many people today underestimate the current state of their mind health, claiming to be fine while at the same time reporting numerous symptoms. Self care is a key aspect of one's mind health, though when conditions are serious it's important to reach for professional help.
4. Mind health: invisible at work?
Many of the working population is experiencing mind health problems related to work and consequently signs of disengagement are pronounced. These problems affect all categories, regardless of gender, age or socio- professional status.
34
of the working population
experienced at least one mind health issue due to their work environment
Foreword
40%
of people with current
mind health conditions are managing their disorder themselves
5. Companies are unaware of the real consequences
Employee satisfaction with company wellbeing initiatives is fairly moderate. Workers expect concrete measures to be put in place to support their mind health.
70%
are reporting acts
of disengagement at work
5
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace Contents
- Mind health vs. mental health
- 3 Questions to Patrick Cohen
4 5 key take-aways
- The global evolution of mind health
- Mind health is growing in
importance on a global scale
9 Towards an epidemic of anxiety, stress and depression?
10
11 Care deficit: from missing the signs to self-managing problems
-
Work-related
mind health concerns - Work has an impact on mind
health,but problems are not attributed to it
14 The paradoxical effect of remote and hybrid working on mind health
15 Diagnosing a root cause of employee disengagement
16
17 A conversation with Sandrine Coulange, Chief Operating Officer, AXA Global Health
- Time for action
- Opening the channels for mind
health support at work
20 Interview of Karima Silvent, AXA Chief Human Resources Officer
21 How can companies better support their workers?
22 Best practices from global companies
- Appendix
- The Mind Health Index (MHI)
- Study Methodology
About the AXA Mind Health Study
This 4th edition of the annual AXA Mind Health Study charts the mental wellbeing of people worldwide.
The results are shown in the Mind Health Index, which places the global population into one of four categories:
- flourishing
- getting by
- languishing
- struggling.
The aim of the study is to amplify the conversation around mind health and uncover opportunities for individuals, healthcare professionals and policymakers to take action for a better global mind health.
See detailed methodology p.25
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Mind Your
Health in the
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Foreword | 1. The global evolution of mind health | 2 | 3 | 4
1. The global evolution
of mind health
7
Mind Your
Health in the
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Mind health
MIND HEALTH INDEX: 2023-2024 EVOLUTION
Foreword | 1. The global evolution of mind health | 2 | 3 | 4
is growing in importance on a global scale
Falling back to 2021 levels of mind health
How has the AXA Mind Health Index shifted over the last 12 months? Results from the 2024 Mind Health Index show a rise in the number of people struggling - up by 3 points to 15% overall. Fewer than a quarter of people in the world are now flourishing (down by 1% to 24% this year), while just a third are getting by (down to 33% from 35%). These figures have reversed the uptick in mind health recorded last year.
Living in anxious times
As shown in the AXA Future Risks Report 2023, we highlighted the concept of polycrisis. People today face a range of macro issues such as rising inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, concerns over climate change and geopolitical tensions. On an individual level, the 2024 Mind Health Index shows that financial worries and loneliness are the leading causes of concern. In all, 61% of the population have experienced at least one personal difficulty+3over the last 12 months.
The percentage of people "struggling"
worldwide has grown by 3 compared to 2023.
2022 | 2023 |
Flourishing
Getting by
Languishing
Struggling | 15% |
0% |
TOP 3 "FLOURISHING" COUNTRIES*
- Countries where the share of people "flourishing" is the highest
1. Switzerland
31%
2. USA
31%
3. China & Mexico
30%
24% | ARROW-DOWN-LONG-1 | |
33% | ARROW-DOWN-2 | |
28%
LONG-ARROW-UP+3
25% | 50% |
TOP 3 "STRUGGLING" COUNTRIES*
- Countries where the share of people "struggling" is the highest
1. Japan
22%
2. UK
20%
3. Ireland
20%
8
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace
Foreword | 1. The global evolution of mind health | 2 | 3 | 4
Towards an epidemic
of anxiety, stress and depression?
The high number of people who now live with a mental illness is up by five points to 32%.
Almost a quarter of all individuals (23%) are suspected of living with severe or extremely severe depression, anxiety, or stress. Women (25%) and young people (39%) tend to be more affected than men or those over 34 years.
The gender gap keeps widening
Compared with last year, fewer women are flourishing, while more are struggling. The number of women feeling severe stress, anxiety and depression has also risen.
The AXA Mind Health Study has found that women typically suffer from lower levels of self-acceptance, which can expose them to mind health triggers such as body image and gender discrimination. An unfair division of chores in the household can also leave women with less time to manage their mind health through relaxation, healthy eating, exercise or social interaction.
THE RECENT GROWTH OF
MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
40% | ||
32% | ||
Currently suffer | ||
from mind health | ||
conditions | ||
30% | ||
20% | ||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
TOP 5 CURRENT
MIND HEALTH CONDITIONS
Share of the global population experiencing one
of the following mental health conditions
50% | Depression | Anxiety, disorder, phobia or PTSD | Anorexia/bulimia/binge eating disorder, etc.) | Obsessive compulsive disorder | Substance abuse disorder |
(i.e. | |||||
17% | disorder | ||||
15% | |||||
Eating | |||||
5% | 4% | ||||
2% |
9
Mind Your
Health in the
Workplace
Young people on high alert
More young people need to access
global evolution of mind health | 2 | 3 | 4
The mind health of young people is not improving
The AXA Mind Health Study shows that the age gap is continuing to widen, led by the worsening emotional wellbeing of younger people. Now two years on from Covid-19, the situation has yet to improve, suggesting that mind health issues among younger people were a growing cause for concern even without the disruption of a global pandemic.
Within the Mind Health Index, the majority of under-25s are among the populations identified as doing the worst:
- 39% are "languishing" (+4 points compared to 2022) and 19% are "struggling" (+1 point).
- Similarly, 39% of the under-25s would be affected by
severe or extremely severe forms of depression, anxiety and/or stress.
Typical barriers to care among young people include stigma, cost and concerns around confidentiality. In many cases,
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS
Share of the population affected with anxiety, stress
or depression severely or more extremely.
professional healthcare services
Dr. Alex George
UK Ambassador for Mental Health. Host of @thestompcast podcast @dralexgeorge
"A 20-year-old today has lived their formative
Foreword | 1. The
many lack understanding of mental health conditions and struggle to recognize their own struggles or seek help. Younger people are especially concerned about technology addiction, social media, body image and future uncertainty.
50%
39%
23%
+16 pts
years not only in a global pandemic but also in a time of geopolitical instability, a cost of living crisis, job insecurity as well as growing concerns about climate change. If living through lockdowns weren't difficult enough, there have also been huge changes in technology, social media and cultural norms.
It's little surprise that many 18-to-34-year-olds feel extremely anxious, stressed and alone. The message from the MHI is that more young people need to access professional healthcare services that can help protect their mental wellbeing at such an important period of their lives."
Global | 18-24 | |
10 | population | years old |
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AXA SA published this content on 06 March 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 06 March 2024 07:18:04 UTC.