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A new global survey shows 70 percent of executives have experienced mental health symptoms since the start of the pandemic—most often in the form of anxiety and sleep disorders—and 93 percent plan to initiate positive transformations to their corporate cultures going forward, particularly affecting work-life balance.
The September 2020 report from health provider Bupa Global includes surveys of high-net-worth individuals and corporate executives in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It found the extensive physical, emotional and economic fallout from the drawn-out pandemic has created significant anxiety for the majority of executives worldwide, many of whom haven’t experienced mental health symptoms previously.
And yet there is a silver lining in the research: This awakening has caused most leaders to reassess the unhealthy work-life balance they had slipped into prior to the pandemic, and 45 percent vow they will not return to the fast-pace of their lives before COVID-19.
A hope is that the self-reflection and corporate culture change emerging from the pandemic may affect positive change for generations to come. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they have increased the time and focus they devote to their personal and home lives (including 64 percent in the United States); and globally 52 percent of executives said they were taking positive steps to protect and strengthen their emotional resilience and were spending more time focusing on their mental and physical health.
Bupa Global Medical Director Dr. Luke James said: “These figures prove the point that wealth doesn’t protect against mental health problems. Any one of us can be affected. The Health Foundation study shows that COVID-19 — and isolation and anxiety associated with the lockdown — has made many people more vulnerable.”
If there is a heartening result of this terrible pandemic, it may be the realization to managers at all levels that mental health issues are a real business concern. While there is still a lingering stigma on talking about mental health in many workplaces, the hope now is that leaders will be more accepting when employees raise their hands and say, “I need help,” whether with workload, work-life balance, stress, burnout, anxiety, or reduced energy levels. Managers must be equipped to recognize the situation, understand when and how they may be contributing to the problem, and be armed with tools to best to address the issues with empathy and care.
