The effects of the pandemic in Greek employees – Anxiety and depression at the top
The effects of the pandemic on the mental health of Greek employees were the topic of a survey conducted by EY Greece, a company commited to building a better working world, Hellas EAP, a company creating Employee Assistance Programs, and the Experimental Psychology Laboratory of the Department of Psychology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The survey, which was conducted in May and June 2021, during the second lockdown in Greece, was completed by 1,232 employees in the private and public sector. The findings were particularly alarming. More specifically, nine variables were investigated: stress, depression, physicalization (of symptoms) anger, loneliness, quality of life (wellbeing), quality of work life, attitudes towards remote work and attitudes towards mental health. It is noted that during the survey period, 35% of the participants worked remotely, 30% from the office and 35% were part of a hybrid work scheme.
The results
More than a third of the employees feel depressed (35%) and pessimistic about the future (35%) and stated that they had no mood for doing things (34%).Stress-related symptoms are quite widespread: 68% are feeling nervous or upset, 40% overwhelmed and 18% fearful. Unprecedented pandemic conditions have also led to outbursts of anger, as 70% of respondents feel irritated, 3 in 10 have uncontrollable outbursts of anger, and 2 in 10 report that they often get involved in arguments. The expression of psychological or emotional problems in the body, such as headaches, intense stress and panic attacks were also quite common. 35% stated that they experienced weakness and dizziness, 15% were nauseous and had stomach disorders, and 1 in 10 noticed difficulty in breathing and pain in the heart or chest.
Women are greatly affected
Women exhibited more stress and depression symptoms than the male respondents, while their quality of life is also different. This finding is probably related to the fact that women often have a disproportionately large responsibility for activities besides their work. Especially during the two lockdowns in Greece, it is certain that they had to balance between taking care of the children and the house while at the same time they had to work from home! In addition, 40% of the employess answered that they are not sure that they can manage stress while 27% believe that their interpersonal relationships have been negatively affected. In addition, 3 in 10 reported they do not maintain any harmony or balance between their personal and professional lives. Employees have a negative opinion about how their work environment takes care of their mental health. Only 4 in 10 in the private sector and 1 in 10 in the public sector believe that their work really cares about their mental health and well-being, while, overall, 39% say that their work supports employees who deal with mental health issues. (eg anxiety, stress).
Remote work and mental health
The research confirms that remote work has been positively accepted by the majority of employees. Three in four (76%) say they are productive while working remotely and 78% feel safe working remotely. However, less than half (49%) feel confident that they can advance in their careers while working remotely, and only 48% have managed to maintain their physical / mental health and well-being under these conditions. Generally, employees seem to care a lot about their mental health now than they used to do. For the 44%, mental health is now their top priority. Two in three (63%) say the pandemic has helped them care more about their mental health, both their own and that of others, while 65% say they are willing to seek professional help when they are under stress. Finally, , 29% believe that the pandemic has helped reduce stigma in relation to mental health.
The role of businesses
Businesses have to play a crucial role in helping employees cope with the burden of their mental health. Activities that employees would like to see in their work environment include training in stress management and self-care (50%), the presence of a psychologist in the workplace (31%), psychological support over the phone or through applications (> 20%) and remote labor policy when possible (30%). One in two employees (52%) also consider it important to cultivate a culture of respect for time through new ways of working. Source: Athens News Agency Recent Articles
