A significant majority of employees suffer from mental health issues related to their job, according to the recently published results of a survey conducted in the first quarter of 2023. Overall, some indicators show marginal improvement over 2022, with workers reporting slightly shorter hours and fewer mental health problems.

Despite the small improvements seen, stress has seemingly increased.

Market intelligence firm Misco’s latest edition of its Employee Wellbeing at the Workplace Report revealed an increase in the number of persons describing their job as “often stressful” rising to 65 per cent, from 58 per cent in 2021.

Just under half (49 per cent) of respondents said that their stress level was poor or very poor, while 44 per cent stated that they experienced excessive fear, worry or anxiety in the past 12 months.

The most-cited reasons for this stress were pressure (47 per cent), heavy workload (40 per cent) and tight deadlines (36 per cent), while the most common results of stress are trouble concentrating (48 per cent) and conflict with colleagues (26 per cent).

Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents said they had experienced mental health issues due to work, although this was marginally less than in the previous year (2022: 79 per cent).

As for those who experienced such mental health problems caused by their job over the past 12 months, these decreased from 68 per cent in 2022 to 64 per cent in the first quarter of 2023.

In 2022, over half of respondents said they worked over 40 hours per week, but this had decreased to 49 per cent this time around.

These are the full results:

  1. 77 per cent experienced mental health issues such as stress and anxiety related to work. This has decreased from 79 per cent mentioned in 2022.
  2. When respondents were asked how they rate their mental wellness on a scale of 1 to 4, where 1 meant very poor and 4 meant very good, 56 per cent rated it positively and 44 per cent rated it negatively. The positive rating has gone down when compared to the results obtained in 2022 (63 per cent).
  3. 64 per cent of respondents stated that they have experienced mental health problems caused by their job over the past 12 months. This has gone down compared to the 68 per cent obtained in 2022.
  4. 49 per cent of all respondents stated that they work more than 40 hours a week, compared to the 52 per cent mentioned in the last survey conducted.
  5. Stress levels remained very much at the same level as previous years, with 49 per cent describing it as poor or very poor.
  6. 44 per cent stated that they experienced excessive fear, worry or anxiety in the past 12 months and 44 per cent stated that they have lost interest in activities they used to enjoy.
  7. 65 per cent of respondents answered that their job is often stressful when compared to 58 per cent observed last year.
  8. The research showed that pressure (47 per cent), heavy workload (40 per cent) and tight deadlines (36 per cent) are often experienced at work.
  9. 48 per cent of respondents believe that experiencing trouble in concentrating is major effect that poor mental wellness has on someone’s performance at work followed by conflict with colleagues (26 per cent).
  10. Whilst in 2021, 53 per cent agreed that their employer takes the mental health and well-being of their employees seriously, this increased slightly to 56 per cent in 2022. It has been shown through the last survey in 2023 that this has decreased to 55 per cent in 2023
  11. Whilst in 2021 53 per cent of respondents stated that they do not know who they would turn to in the office if they were suffering with mental health issues, this has decreased to 48 per cent in 2022. However, this has increased to 49 per cent in 2023 as shown in the last survey.
  12. 17 per cent of respondents would like their employer to introduce healthy lifestyle initiatives.
  13. Whilst only 5 per cent of respondents stated that their place of work provides stress reduction initiatives, 34 per cent stated that they would like their place of work to offer such programmes in order to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees.
  14. 68 per cent of respondents have never disclosed unmanageable stress or mental health problems to current employer or manager, this has decreased from 72 per cent reported in 2022.
  15. 80 per cent of respondents would attend a workshop about achieving a positive work-life balance. Whilst 69 per cent stated that they would attend workshops or talks on mental health awareness.
  16. 73 per cent of respondents would attend a virtual workshop about achieving a positive work-life balance. Whilst 68 per cent stated that they would attend virtual workshops or talks on mental health awareness.

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