Are young working Pinoys the saddest?
The published results of a study by leading insurance provider AXA revealed that the number of Filipino respondents between 18 to 24 years old who admitted going through bouts of depression and anxiety were higher than global numbers.
Depression in the Philippines for this age group was at 35 percent compared to 27 percent globally. The local numbers for anxiety are at 16 percent versus the 12 percent average worldwide.
While COVID-19 worsened mind health across age groups, the latest findings from the AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 revealed that Gen Z (aged 18-24) was the age group worst hit with more than half of Gen Z globally (54 percent) and in Asia (51 percent) experiencing poor mental health.
The survey identified specific challenges Gen Z members face in today’s workplace. It also highlighted the need for employers to explore tailored support to address a potential surge in turnover of young talent.
Eighteen percent of Gen Z globally were reported struggling with emotional stress and psychosocial impairment. The number is slightly lower at 14 percent in Asia. Both numbers were more than any other age group.
What are the work challenges threatening Gen Z’s mental health in Asia? The key issues identified were uncertainty about the future (69 percent vs 59 percent globally), struggling to separate work life and non-work life (49 percent vs 39 percent globally), finding it hard to keep up with the pace of change at work (47 percent vs 38 percent globally), and a lack of job-skill fit (14 percent vs 9 percent globally).
Job-skill fit has a very strong correlation with mental wellbeing. Those who have the right job-skill fit are 2.5 times more likely to perform their best according to the study.
In Asia, companies that provide mind health support are 2.5 times more likely to have employees that are flourishing.
The AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 was conducted across 16 countries and territories in Europe, Asia and the Americas in 2022 with a total of 30,000 respondents.
The subjects were classified into four mind-health states based on their responses, from “flourishing” at the top to “getting by,” “languishing” and “struggling.”
Flourishing is the pinnacle of good mind health. Getting by describes those with some areas of good wellbeing but not enough to reach the state of flourishing. Languishing is the absence of positive wellbeing while struggling is associated with emotional stress and psychosocial impairment.
In Asia, companies that provide mind health support are 2.5 times more likely to have employees that are flourishing. Twenty-five percent of Gen Z employees who feel they are getting good mind health support at work are flourishing compared to only 10 percent among employees in companies that do not provide such support.
According to AXA Philippines President and chief executive officer Bernardo Serrano Lopez: “While we see a considerable improvement in mind health globally, this does not mean that we can just sit back and simply let things run its course. The insights from this study helps organizational leaders and people managers steer their initiatives to better benefit our employees’ physical and mental health.”
The findings show that 25 percent of people globally are flourishing, with Thailand (37 percent), a new entrant this year, topping the list and Italy (18 percent) showing the lowest level. A closer look at Asian countries and territories in the survey finds that the Philippines had the largest proportion globally of people getting by, at 39 percent, followed by Hong Kong at 37 percent. Across the region, the largest proportion of languishing and struggling were both in Japan, at 31 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Despite this concern, the research found that the proportion of people flourishing in Asia climbed from 19 percent to 22 percent, with Asia seeing a bigger rise than the global average. By contrast, the proportion of those struggling in Asia fell to 12 percent, a year-on-year decrease of 2 percent. This speaks to improving mental wellbeing across the board. In addition, 36 percent of respondents globally agree that stigma related to mental health is declining, compared to 31 percent last year.
And what percentage are at the apex of mind health? Globally, the number is at 13 percent. The number is slightly higher at 15 percent in Asia. Both numbers are considered lowest across all age groups. Please note that the 18-24 age group globally has more people struggling than flourishing.