Five in 10 Asian 'zoomers' suffer from poor mental health – study

A recent mental health study found that five in 10 of Gen Z, colloquially known as the ‘zoomers,’ are suffering from poor mental health. The study was made as part of insurer AXA’s Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023, which shared insights on the mental health challenges faced by those aged 18 to 24 and how this group can benefit from employer mental health support.

The study found that Gen Z in Asia makes up 14% of those struggling with emotional stress and psychosocial impairment, which is more than any other age group. It also revealed that talent within the generation faced several key challenges that pose a threat to their mental health. These challenges, as well as the number of Gen-Zers facing them, are as follows:

• 69% are uncertain about the future
• 49% are struggling to separate work life and non-work life
• 47% are finding it hard to keep up with the change of pace at work
• 54% lack job-skill fit

The survey’s results also show that two in 10 zoomers intend to resign in the next 12 months, making them the demographic with the most intentions to quit.

Gen Z and the benefits of mental health support

While mental health for Gen Z is a big issue, the study also revealed that they are the demographic that is impacted the most by mental health support. One in four Gen-Z employees who feel that they are getting good mental health support at work are flourishing. This is significantly more compared to those who do not see such support, which is one in a hundred.

Despite the trends, mentally flourishing zoomers climbed from 19% to 22%, while those with poor mental health fell to 12% from 14%.

“The next generation of talent are facing severe challenges”

AXA Asia and Africa CEO Gordon Watson said that companies need to investigate how they can make a difference to support the needs of their Gen-Z employees, especially when it comes to the nature of their mental health.

“While mind health has rightly attracted greater attention in the wake of the pandemic’s disruption on our lives, these findings emphasise that the next generation of talent across Asia are facing severe challenges,” Watson said. “Companies need to examine how they can make a tangible difference with support relevant to the needs of their Gen-Z employees, not only to help with productivity and retention, but to tackle this urgent issue affecting societies across the region.”

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