Anxiety is the number one challenge facing expats in some of the world’s most popular destinations, ranking higher than depression and stress, according to AXA Global Healthcare.
AXA commissioned Listen + Learn to analyse thousands of social media comments made by expats in six important regions during health and wellness debates. The study’s major findings were based on 15 key web domains, with Twitter and Reddit proving to be the most active.
According to the report, anxiety is the top health and wellbeing concern for 32 per cent of expats in the UK, 27 per cent in Scandinavia, 24 per cent in France, 23 per cent in Dubai, 22 per cent in Hong Kong and 18 per cent in Canada.
Anxiety was followed by depression as the second most common issue among expats, with 13 per cent in the UK, 12 per cent in Canada, 12 per cent in Scandinavia and 9 per cent in France reporting it. The second most common issue for expats in Dubai was pregnancy and early motherhood highlighted by 12 per cent.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, on the other hand, were described as a challenge by 15per cent of ex-pats in Hong Kong, 9per cent in Canada and the UK, 7per cent in France, 6per cent in Scandinavia, and only 5per cent in Dubai.
In terms of taking steps to manage their general mental and physical wellbeing, using professional healthcare services seemed to be the most popular port of call for 33per cent of ex-pats in Canada, 24 per cent in France, 20 per cent in Scandinavia and 17 per cent Hong Kong.
But 17 per cent of expats in the UK relied most heavily on their relationships and 12 per cent of those in Dubai relied on mindfulness.
In all six locations, practices such as exercise, nutrition and therapy were also highlighted as ways to manage mental and physical health. The exercise was a support mechanism for 9 per cent of those in Dubai, 6 per cent in France, Hong Kong and Scandinavia, 5 per cent in the UK and 4 per cent in Canada. Meanwhile, 6 per cent of those in France and Hong Kong, 5 per cent in the UK, 4 per cent in Dubai and Scandinavia and 3 per cent in Canada turned to nutrition.
AXA chief people officer global healthcare Caroline Walmsley says: “As concerning as it might be, it’s perhaps unsurprising that anxiety seems to be the greatest challenge for expats. When we consider the circumstances they face – far from home, in a new environment and potentially even contending with a different language all in the confines of a global pandemic – it’s easy to see why they might be suffering with anxiety. There are small actions that we can all take every day to improve our mental wellbeing. However, it’s just as important to be able to recognise when it’s time to seek help.”
Walmsley added: “While it’s reassuring that large numbers of expats feel comfortable contacting their healthcare provider, we would hope to see those quick wins like eating well and exercising regularly to have been more popular. We know that keeping active and good nutrition are of huge importance, so we would highly recommend that expats do what they can to take care of the basics in this way. However, we’ve also seen that mindfulness is a popular coping strategy for expats in some locations and virtual tools, such as AXA’s own Mind Health service, are now providing this kind of support remotely.”
