According to research carried out by talkhealth in March 2022, three-quarters of people with chronic health conditions experienced mental health issues in the past. 

The survey covered topics including mental health and work, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and remedies for poor mental health. Optimistically, the data shows that people are more likely to open up about their condition. In fact, the majority (41%) of respondents report being comfortable chatting with a friend or relative about their mental health.

That said, over 70% of people say that their mental health affects their relationships and over half of those surveyed say that it interferes with their daily life and productivity. In light of the direct effect on employment, over half of those surveyed don’t feel there is enough mental health support in the workplace and only 22% of people feel comfortable raising the topic with a manager or a colleague. 

Despite having a clear effect on their lifestyles, the majority surveyed did not  meditate, or use tailored online resources to remedy their symptoms. Over half report that this is because they are not aware of what is available to them or they don’t know where to look 

On the results, Catriona Williams, CEO of talkhealth says: It is concerning that although there are appears to be more easily accessible mental health resources available digitally, many of those that really need the support still aren’t benefitting.  More research needs to be done to understand what the real barriers are in order that support can be truly offered at the point of need. 

Other key findings: 

• 61% of people believe that working from home has improved their work-life balance however 35% say it makes them feel more lonely. 
• 29% of people rate their mental health between ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ although 70% of people say they have experienced mental health issues in the past. 
• Over half of the respondents cite that they feel moderate to very high stress at work and 47% of people say their work interferes with their mental health a great deal.