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Covid-19 epidemic, cost of living crisis, war in Ukraine… Many factors have raised anxiety in companies. So much so that mental health has become a priority for human resources managers. But it remains a taboo subject for many employees.
The mental health app Wysa surveyed more than 1,000 American workers to get a glimpse of their state of mind after two years of health crisis. She found that most of them show symptoms of psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, stress or burnout.
This phenomenon is particularly widespread among the younger generations, as revealed by the survey of Wysa that was able to consult The Fast Company. Thus, 47% of working people belonging to Generation Z say they suffer from anxiety disorders. This malaise has consequences on their professional life: only 18% of 25-34 year olds questioned say they are not too stressed by their work. This figure rises to 41% for their colleagues aged over 55 (the famous boomers).
While companies are becoming more and more aware of the low morale of their employees, they face a major problem in remedying it. Psychological disorders are still misunderstood, even taboo. Sick people are often afraid and ashamed to talk about it, especially to their colleagues or their hierarchical superiors. Four in ten American employees say their management doesn’t know they have anxiety. Almost as many hide their depression from their employer (38%).
This silence prevents them from taking time for themselves, which reinforces their initial psychological suffering. Only 14.4% of Americans surveyed play fair with their manager when they have to take time off to take care of their mental health. In comparison, they are 25.6% to take days off claiming to suffer from an ordinary ailment (cold, flu, angina, gastroenteritis, etc.), and not from mental disorders; and 31.6% to continue working despite everything.
It’s a vicious circle that needs to be broken since the World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the leading cause of disability in the world by 2030. Faced with the magnitude of the phenomenon, companies are offering their employees days off so that they can make their well-being a priority.
For Ramakant Vempati, co-founder of Wysa, these initiatives will not have the desired effect if the word on psychological disorders is not released in the world of work. “As things stand, too many people feel pressured to lie to take time off when their mental health affects their ability to work“, he told The Fast Company. “Even those who suffer from symptoms of anxiety or moderate depression do not feel comfortable telling their managers. We can’t let this issue continue to be the elephant in the room, it’s time to start talking about it.”