New survey finds 70% of media and marketing professionals are burnt out

August 21, 2024 9:20

The 2024 Mentally Healthy Survey has uncovered that 70% of workers within the marketing, creative and media industry identify as having experienced burnout within the last 12 months.

Carried out by Never Not Creative — a community dedicated to improving the wellbeing of adland’s occupants — with backing from UnLtd and the Mentally Healthy Change Group, the survey consolidates the answers of more than 2000 industry workers in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Generally speaking, the survey found that “the prevalence of burnout and overall poor mental health” continues to remain a dire issue for the industry, despite mental health attitude improvements.

The 70% burnout rate was found to be higher than that of general Australian professionals (53%).

“This is a clear indication that media, marketing and creative professionals often work hard, putting work ahead of their own needs, and there is a need for employers to put the necessary support structures and empathy levels around us to safeguard overall wellbeing,” said the Mentally Healthy Change Group co-chair and Never Not Creative’s founder, Andy Wright.

“Contrary to what some may believe, this doesn’t mean you have to walk on eggshells around individual staff, but rather it requires leaders and managers to simply be fair with their people and make sure they’re listened to, their needs are understood and they receive good feedback and clear communication on how to progress.”

The results also unpack the long-term impacts COVID-19 has had on working conditions and how they relate to peoples’ mental health. Flexible working arrangements were found to bolster mental health and improve feelings of anxiety and depression.

However, the survey also showed that 38% of professionals working from home showed “higher levels of depression” compared to their in-office peers, with 33% showing signs. In terms of anxiety, 31% of people who work from home reported as having less anxiety. On the other end, individuals who worked in offices showed higher levels of anxiety (40%).

“Businesses have had varied approaches to going back to work after COVID, so work environment was a big area of focus for us this year,” Wright said.

“What appears to be best for employees from a wellbeing perspective is to give them choice. True flexibility correlates with lower signs of anxiety and depression.”

Interestingly, respondents who identify “non-male, non-white, non-hetero and non-leaders” reported higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to their white, male, hetero, leader counterparts – 52% (medium anxiety levels) and 22% respectively.

Additionally, the survey uncovered that respondents under 30 are reporting “significantly higher levels of anxiety.” And while that generation is “more accepting of mental health issues,” they are more unwilling to reach out for help, or speak on their struggles.

10% of the sector identifies as neurodivergent. Meanwhile, 51% of leaders admitted to not knowing the Psychosocial Hazards Legislation and just 22% of businesses identify as having a plan for it.

Overall, survey respondents cited leadership diversity, performance feedback, clear-cut role descriptions, improved working processes, and sustainable business models, as ways to improve mental health wellbeing within the work environment.

Compassionate leaders who walk the walk and talk the talk, and wellbeing company resources were also solutions raised by respondents to improve their workplaces.

The full results of the Mentally Healthy 2024 Survey will go live on Never Not Creative’s website next week.