The Covid pandemic as left only a third of expats feeling “optimistic” about their future — with a similar proportion feeling pessimistic about future options, according to new research.
Axa Global Health found that only 17 per cent of those living and working abroad described themselves as “flourishing” in their environment.
This research found that in all these cases expats were not faring as well as local workers in these different locations. For example 38 per cent of expats described themselves as optimistic about the future, compared to 44 per cent of locals; meanwhile 37 per cent of expats were pessimistic, compared to just 31 per cent of locals.
The research also revealed that international residents lacked support when it came to mental health and wellbeing, which was contributing to their pessimistic views on their future.
This report examines how employees react to stress and looks at how mind health differs by age and gender — and what individuals can do to improve their sense of wellbeing.
When asking the reasons for expats’ distress, Axa found that many were concerned about making ends meet. Around a third reported that their financial security (35 per cent) and job and income security (31 per cent) had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing.
Others were concerned about their career prospects, with two-in-five (39 per cent) feeling uncertain about the future of their career and more than a quarter (27 per cent) losing all or part of their job as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than half (59 per cent) of expats reported a stress level of 5+ on a scale of 0-to-10 over the last 12 months, compared to 55 per cent of local nationals. The report also found that over a quarter (28 per cent) of expats are currently experiencing at least one mental health condition, with depression (13 per cent) and anxiety (11 per cent) being the most common.
Axa Global Healthcare head of global healthcare Rebecca Freer says: “It’s unsurprising that many expats are struggling with their mental health, given the tremendous and rapid changes we’ve all experienced due to the pandemic.
“We mustn’t underestimate the impact that being far from home, friends, family and familiarity can have during such difficult times. However, managing mental health isn’t just for times of crisis. It’s important that we make regular efforts to monitor feelings and take action to make small improvements in everyday life too.”
She adds: “With large numbers of expats worrying about their finances and career, we need to ensure they have the support they need to keep their mental health in check. Throughout the pandemic, virtual tools, such as Axa’s Mind Health service have become widely adopted.
“We hope that organisations will continue to roll these virtual support tools out, as many have been doing over the past two years, and that those expats who are struggling will feel as they have a place to turn for help.
This survey was conducted among 11,000 people across 11 countries in Europe and Asia.