The State of Us: Mental Health in Uncertain Times

A study of comms and marketing professionals in the UK has revealed that the mental health challenge in the industry continues to worsen, despite positive progress by employers.

The latest report from State of Us reveals that:

-            60% of comms and marketing professionals said that mental health is a bigger problem in the industry now, than two years ago

-            64% of us have experienced extreme stress of burnout at work in the last 12 months – an increase from 51% from the inaugural study carried out in 2022

-            And 60% say the intensity of their role - in-house and in agency - in terms of workload and pressure has increased over the last 12 months – a 13% increase from the inaugural study carried out in 2022.

The survey was carried out by Coleman Parkes across 1000 comms and marketing professionals from agencies and in-house teams as well as freelancers. It highlights that factors including ‘too many demands on my time’ and ‘commute time’ are key drivers behind this increase in extreme stress and burnout.

EMPLOYERS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR POLICIES AND SUPPORT

However, the findings also reveal progress in the industry in key areas since the study was last carried out:

-            The majority (71%) of people agree that their company’s approach to mental health has improved over the last two years, with more than two thirds (69%) now rating it as being either very good or quite good.

-            Just under half (48%) said that their company has formal policies in place around mental health and that these are sufficient – an improvement versus the survey two years ago, when only 20% said the same.

-            Although more people have taken time off work due to mental health difficulties not related to work, they report greater comfort in explaining and talking about this to their employers (59% in 2024 vs 48% in 2022), with just over a quarter (27%) feeling uncomfortable to do so.

“The findings show a marked improvement by employers in the industry – a provision of support and steps to destigmatise that were simply not there when we first carried out this study,” said Vicki DeBlasi, founder of State of Us. “However, we cannot get away from the fact that the overall state of our mental health in the industry continues to worsen. The last 12 months have been some of the most challenging in the history of the industry, not to mention we are operating in a climate of uncertainty that is wreaking havoc at a macro level. Companies need to keep asking themselves ‘can we be doing better?’”

A CLEAR REQUIREMENT TO MOVE BEYOND POLICIES & PROVIDE PROACTIVE SUPPORT TO ALL

While progress has been made, the results highlight a clear need to increase the levels and types of support provided. Significantly, respondents shared that companies are far more reactive than proactive (66%) when it comes to handling mental health issues. And worryingly, there are clear indications that access to, and the types of mental health support provided, are not seen as inclusive and accessible to everyone. In fact 53% of respondents feel that their company culture is not equally supportive of mental health for employees from diverse backgrounds. 

What’s more, over half (52%) agree that their company does only the bare minimum when it comes to dealing with mental health challenges and over half of respondents expressed that while mental health is talked about a lot, more could be done to effectively support employees.

“We repeated this study to identify where progress has been made, and where we collectively need to focus now. It’s clear that while the support provided has evolved, so has the scale of the problem and all against the backdrop of a deeply unsettling global environment. Organisations must take the support they offer to the next level and focus on proactively building culture’s that nurture positive mental health,” concludes DeBlasi. “To support this shift, and in partnership with Mental Health First Aid England, we have included in our report actions that organisations can take across areas that include the client/agency relationship, setting boundaries and leading by example. We hope this inspires the conversations that lead to positive change.”

Leonie McIlroy, Head of Campaigns and Communications at Mental Health First Aid England, added:

“The world has been a turbulent place for the last few years. This has been tough for individuals and businesses. Other sectors are not immune to this, but there are some unique challenges that our industry provides. Marcomms people don’t get to switch off from the news agenda or business pressures, it’s our role to react and adapt, often with limited resources” said Leonie McIlroy, Head of Campaigns and Communications at Mental Health First Aid England.

“More and more organisations are putting greater mental health support in place. This is a positive first step. To create mentally healthy workplaces where people and business thrive, support is only one part of a whole organisational approach. Other vital components of your strategy should include giving people the awareness and confidence to talk about mental health, good job design, and managers having the time, tools and training to do the job well.”

“At MHFA England, we also recognise the link between wellbeing and inclusion. Employers must ensure psychologically safe environments where everyone is seen, heard and valued, no matter their background or identity. Wellbeing and productivity fuel one another. It’s not a case of whether we can afford to invest in the mental health of our people, it’s whether we can afford not to.”

Read the full report here.