Nearly 40% of European Workers Face Mental Health Risks: New Survey
A revealing new survey indicates a concerning trend: nearly two out of five European workers are at risk of experiencing a mental health condition. This alarming statistic comes from TELUS Health, a provider of health services and technologies, their yearly Mental Health Index analyzed data from over 3,000 workers across six European countries: France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The study employed a scoring system, with scores below 80 deemed indicative of a high risk for mental health issues. The results revealed a stark disparity between countries. Leading the pack in mental health concerns is Spain, with a worrying 48% of workers classified as high-risk, followed by Poland (45%) and Italy (43%). Conversely, the Netherlands displayed thelowest proportion of workers with high mental health risk at 24%.
Multiple factors contribute to these variations, according to TELUS Health’s global leader and vice president of research and insights, Paula Allen. "There are three main factors that really do make a difference. The first is basically the things that are happening in that country," she explains.
Allen cited Poland’s proximity to Ukraine, which has suffered over 1,000 days of war, as a contributing factor to the high mental health risk in the nation.
But beyond geopolitical events, cultural and infrastructural differences also play a role. Tischler emphasizes, "There’s the world that you experience when you’re female and the world that you experience when you’re male are different.” This disparity, she explains, manifests in access to resources, employment opportunities, and even labor division.
"There’s also health disparity. We know right now very clearly that the way the health system responds to men and women is very different," Allen adds, highlighting the well-documented gender bias in healthcare. She further underscores the under-recognition of health issues unique to women, such as endometriosis, perimenopause, and menopause.
The study also underscored the significant link between physical health and mental well-being. Workers who frequently engaged in physical activity reported higher mental health scores. Conversely, over 10% of workers reported no physical activity whatsoever, leading to nearly three extra lost workdays annually and significantly lower mental health scores (nearly 10 points).
Lack of financial security emerged as a critical contributor to anxiety and depression, with workers without emergency savings three times more likely to face these challenges. "It puts you in a state of anxiety. Even if it’s low-level chronic anxiety, it puts you in a state of anxiety," Allen observed.
This lack of security, she emphasizes, transcends simply having a lower income. It represents a void in the crucial safety net that allows individuals to weather unexpected financial storms, hindering their ability to achieve true well-being.
The findings carry significant implications for employers, highlighting their crucial role in fostering a supportive workplace environment. Allen emphasizes, "Employers, she explained, should design work environments that align with occupational health and safety guidelines to minimise risks to employees on both physical and mental health."
Employers, she advises, can implement programs to enhance employees’ physical and mental health through training, coaching, and health guidance, integrating these frameworks into the backdrop of the company culture.
