France: One in two employees suffers from stress, depression, or other psychological problems – Economic Post

There is no doubt that there is no more stressful factor in a person’s life than unemployment – as long as he or a loved one in his close family environment does not face health problems that threaten his physical survival. However, work can develop into a very psychologically painful daily life. This was demonstrated in this year’s edition of the Malakoff Humanis “Health in the Workplace” barometer covering the French labor market.

The research showed that more than a year after the lifting of restrictive measures and the end of the huge human toll resulting from the global health crisis, the negative effects on the psychological world of workers, especially those working in companies with an affiliated employment relationship, continue to accumulate – it was not easy to cover Objectively survey freelancers and freelancers.

European economic contraction signal from the S&P Global index

Women are more at risk

“More than one in two employees experience psychosomatic problems. Some are mentally exhausted, others physically break down, and others “burn out,” that is, suffer from burnout. This is the main conclusion of the research. Women also appear to be more vulnerable in this regard. “The mental health of workers continues to deteriorate, especially women,” Malakoff Humanis research says.

Specifically, more than one in two women suffer from psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, stress or burnout, compared to 45% of men. If employees’ mental health deteriorates, their physical health also suffers. This means that 41% of women are in a formal relationship and 34% of men are facing physical problems.

Overall, in all fields of activity, about 44% of working women admit that their psychological condition deteriorated in the past year. As for men, the corresponding percentage is 32%. As for women, 40% of the total reported a deterioration in their psychological condition last year.

The fact that women who work in the health sector and the “medical and social” sector, as Malakoff Humanis often states, are particularly affected by this phenomenon is exciting. This means that staying away from the very difficult experiences of the pandemic did not reduce the escalation of stress among workers in “one of the most physically and psychologically difficult fields,” according to the researchers.

Experts note that “the consequences of post-pandemic stress are immediately apparent in health facilities, such as hospitals for example, where the rate of staff absenteeism has risen by 10 percentage points this year compared to 2022.”

Pressure stick for precision

It appears that the difficult consequences of the pandemic have been exacerbated by the inflationary crisis. The Malakoff Humanis report places particular emphasis on women “who appear particularly concerned about the financial situation of their families and the future of their children.” “Women are also more concerned about the geopolitical situation and environmental degradation,” the researchers add.

In the face of these fears and the development of psychosocial risks, “workers expect support from their employers.” According to the barometer, 65% of women and 57% of men expect psychological support if they face personal or professional difficulties. Women are also more interested than men in finding “stress management solutions.” The corresponding proportions are 70% and 55%.

Fortunately, female managers “are increasingly paying attention to these employee requests” and 30% of them “make addressing psychosocial risks a priority for their company.” Some go further and offer specialist psychological support to their employees who are under increasing stress.