Female employees face more mental health issues than their male counterparts, Malakoff Humanis’ latest workplace health barometer reveals. “ Although in general employees say they are increasingly satisfied with their work and their quality of life at work, the results of the 2023 edition of the Malakoff Humanis Occupational Health Barometer show that women’s psychological health is deteriorating. », Explains the mutual, whose study was carried out by the Ipsos institute.
68% of men say they enjoy good health in general, compared to 62% of women, with a phenomenon of long-term deterioration more marked among employed women, of whom 70% still considered themselves to be in good health in 2011 41% of women surveyed say they have poor physical health compared to 34% of men, and 44% report poor mental health compared to 32% of their male counterparts.
More than half of female employees suffer or have suffered psychological disorders in the last twelve months (55% compared to 45% of men): mood disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, disorders related to trauma and stress, burnout…
Where do these problems come from?
« A third of affected employees (women and men) attribute this poor state of psychological health to professional origins, a third to personal origins and a third to both. », Explains the barometer. Among the personal reasons given among women, the majority (39% compared to 26% among men) link mental health with financial situation. “ A situation that is explained by part-time work – which affects 17% of women (compared to 7% of men) – and the situation of single-parent families. », adds Malakoff Humanis. In fact, single parenthood – which affects one in four families in France – is 85% carried out by women.
Female employees are also more worried about the future of their children (41%) than their colleagues (33%), and are increasingly so (+9 points compared to 2022). “ They are also more concerned about the situation in the world (82% vs 71%) and the environment (80% vs 69%) », specifies the study.
“Less perception of the long-term future”
« Ecoanxiety, the future of children, single parenthood, economic difficulties, are topics that have been a cause of concern in recent years.explains Quentin Trillaud, head of health and quality of life at work at Malakoff Humanis, interviewed by Ouest France. Whereas before people could anticipate, they have less insight into the long-term future. It is more difficult to project yourself. And it is even more marked among women. »
The barometer produced by Ipsos also adds that “ Women are overrepresented in the health and social work professions (67% of employees in the sector are women), a sector in which employees report being in poorer health than average. “. Employees in this sector suffer more from chronic fatigue, sleep disorders and even talk about ” work-related emotional exhaustion » for almost half of them (45%, all genders combined).
What can the employer do?
According to the barometer, “ Women especially seek support from their employer. » in the face of growing psychosocial risks. Therefore, the vast majority would like to benefit from psychological support in case of personal or professional difficulties and would be interested in solutions for stress management. Employees also expect support in the event of serious illness and when returning to work after sick leave.
Basically, the report recommends promoting a gender approach to the issue of mental health at work. An opinion already expressed last June by the Senate women’s rights delegation: “ The persistent lack of a gender approach to occupational health results in insufficient prevention for women, especially due to poor health care and labor inspection. »
