More than half of Gen Z workers in Asia report poor mental health

Sometimes it feels like the entire world could use a collective meditation session—or maybe a weeklong retreat to decompress from work.

One recent study looks at how poor mental health is impacting Gen Z’s relationship with their jobs, but offers a glimmer of hope on the changing view of mental illness.

Where in the world? France-based insurance company Axa released its Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing in February; it polled 30,000 respondents across east Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The company found that more than half of Gen Z respondents in Asia responded that they’re “experiencing poor mental health.”

While Gen Z in Asia reports widespread mental illness, the study also found that the generation can work well under stress. Asia-based Gen Z workers are struggling with various stressors impacting their mental health and work well-being, including having uncertainty about the future (69%), feeling as though their skills and job don’t match up (56%), and having a hard time keeping up with “the pace of change at work” (47%), yet 42% believe they can be relied on to do their best work.

One in five also intend to resign some time in the next year (21%), although this trend is in line with Gen Z workers in other countries.

Satellite view. Gen Z’s woes are not unique to Asia. A 2022 McKinsey survey found that 55% of Americans aged 18–24 reported receiving a "diagnosis and/or treatment for mental illness. Employers appear to be trying to help workers, though; four in five HR leaders say that mental health is a high priority for their companies, according to another 2022 McKinsey survey.

While this news may seem grim, the report signals that the stigma traditionally associated with mental health issues appears to be diminishing: 36% of respondents agreed the stigma is declining, compared to 31% in 2022.—KP