The 2024 Profmed Stress Index found that South African professionals are grappling with mounting stress levels, with financial uncertainty (35.16%) and workplace pressure (26.10%) emerging as primary stressors.
The annual survey was conducted among 2071 graduate professionals across a range of industries.
The healthcare industry accounted for the most professionals (53.53%), followed by the built environment (12.26%), and legal industry (9.80%), among others.
More than 20% of professionals said they were currently highly stressed, while 7.24% were extremely stressed, and 30.27% were moderately stressed.
The survey reported that stress affected 19.54% of SA professionals’ mental state, 21.99% were affected emotionally, 10.82% were affected physically, and stress affected 10.32% of their behaviour.
A concerning 37.27% said stress affected all of the above mentioned.
Fatigue (62.75%) and poor sleep (59.37%) ranked the highest among other stress-related symptoms, surpassing last year’s levels.
Digestive issues (23.12%) surprisingly emerged as a new stress-related symptom, which sounded the alarm on the increasing toll that stress takes on a professional’s physical health.
The index discovered a growing concern that stress influences the lifestyle of professionals.
The survey reported that 58.89% of professionals prefer self-isolation when experiencing stress, while 35.55% eat more than they should, and 16.70% consume alcohol more than they should.
A worrying 46.63% of respondents engage less in hobbies when stressed.
Workload (67.51%), work-life balance (66.76%) and job security (41.04%) came out as the major stress indicators in the workplace.
Interestingly relative to mental health, 33.33% of professionals said a toxic work culture increased their stress levels, while 26.99% were worried about their career development.
While 60.30% preferred in-person meetings with a counsellor to deal mental health, 23.12% are comfortable with text-based support.
Clinical executive at Profmed, Justine Lacy, explained the survey showed that stress remains a worrying concern among professionals, which needs an urgent solution.
“This year’s results reiterate that stress remains a significant concern for South African professionals, and needs to be taken seriously. None of us are immune to its effects,” said Lacy.
She added that new mental health support systems need to be created in order to respond to gender-specific needs.
“We know men and women deal with stress differently. Women often seek emotional support by talking through their experiences, while men are more likely to turn to escape activities like exercise for relief. Understanding these differences can help us tailor better mental health support systems,” said Lacy.
Lacy said the survey indicated that a generational divide persists when it comes to stress management.
While a large portion of the older age-group still preferred in-person interaction, young people are more inclined to digital solutions for stress management.
“There’s a definite advantage in face-to-face sessions with a mental health professional, but that should not stop anyone from seeking support, even if it is only a screen-to-screen consultation,” said Lacy.
In addition, the survey highlighted the urgent need to keep addressing workplace stress, financial strain, and mental health support for professionals.
“With stress levels on the rise, proactive intervention remains essential for long-term health and wellbeing,” said Lacy.
The Star