AXA : Préserver sa santé mentale

Being mind-healthy

Why good mind health is key to our physical, social and financial wellbeing

The AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing in 2022

AXA Mind Health Study 2022	Welcome	01	p2

Welcome

to AXA's 2022 Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing.

In recent years, there has been increasing acknowledgement of the importance of good mind health to physical health and wellbeing. Mind health plays a crucial role in determining individuals' financial or social success and their ability to flourish, even in the most difficult circumstances.

In compiling this study, we've chosen to use the expression mind health - rather than mental health

• as a way of further breaking down stigma and promoting the idea
  of emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.

Research shows the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on people's mind health, particularly on frontline workers, those

living alone or with pre-existing conditions. This report looks at the current state of mind health across 11 countries and territories in Europe and Asia. It examines how we react to stress, how we choose to diagnose mental illness, how mind health differs by age and gender - and what we can do, as individuals, to improve our sense of happiness and wellbeing.

Our study builds on a similar AXA mind health study published in 2020. It also marks the launch of the AXA Mind Health Index, which will allow us to monitor changes in mind health over time. Our goal for this Index is to support individuals, businesses, healthcare professionals and policymakers in their approach to mind health

• to help them prevent illness and promote happiness and wellbeing.
  To find out more about our Index and the research behind it, see our Notes on Methodology, page 31.

AXA Mind Health Study 2022	Table of contents	p3

Table of contents

page

4

Foreword

by Antimo Perretta

page

5

Executive summary

page

page

15

28

page

page

Health Index

page

at AXA

31

6

AXA's Mind

23

Mind health

Notes on

methodology

Survey

Country

findings

profiles

AXA Mind Health Study 2022	Foreword	p 4

Foreword by Antimo Perretta,

CEO AXA Europe and Latin America, sponsor of the study

COVID-19 has been part of our daily vocabulary for two years and continues to impact everything we do. The emergence of the fast-spreading Omicron variant toward the end of 2021 has forced some governments to impose new social restrictions, especially in Europe. While most are trying to avoid the full lockdowns seen during earlier waves of the pandemic, the massive spike in daily infections in December made some form of action inevitable. Once again, our lives at home, school, the workplace and most leisure activities are being overshadowed by this ongoing threat. The pressure

of this on mental wellbeing has been enormous. During the pandemic, people have often been isolated, parents have had to juggle home-schooling and work; many have lost their jobs and income. At the same time, the activities they would ordinarily participate in to let off steam have no longer been available.

The silver lining in this particularly gray cloud is that people have become more willing to discuss these issues. In many

countries, the stigma surrounding mental illness has been reduced, while empathy and compassion for others has grown. This study is part of AXA's contribution to those conversations. It's the largest we have ever conducted, canvassing opinions from 11,000 people across 11 European and Asian countries and territories.

The study reflects our commitment to address this important issue, too often neglected by governments and brushed under the carpet by fear and taboo. As insurers, we believe strongly that our duty is not confined to just stepping in when things go wrong, and providing the funds and assistance people need to pick up the pieces. When it comes to mind health, AXA is taking a holistic approach, focused on being a positive force for human progress, empowering people to identify and deal with problems long before they take a toll on their mental wellbeing.

This isn't only an issue for individuals. The cost to society of undiagnosed and poorly managed mental illnesses is

colossal. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) puts the economic impact at up to 4.2% of GDP, with two-thirds of that figure due to low employment and lost productivity. In European Union countries alone, the OECD estimates the cost at over EUR 600 billion1.

Our study will be repeated annually to build a moving picture of our global mental wellbeing. It will assist individuals, companies, healthcare professionals and governments to monitor and act

to improve mind health. It's backed by the full weight of AXA's global presence and more than two centuries of expertise in the protection market. We have an array of digital assistance offering advice and information, giving our clients constant real-time access to healthcare professionals.

The growing willingness of a majority of people to discuss mental health issues, particularly with children, suggests that mind health will have a growing place over the long term in the healthcare market.

People and businesses will invest more in it. We will see a shift toward prevention with people taking positive steps to be healthier and happier.

They will continue to access experts when they are unwell but, over time, we should see the conversation extend to investment in better mind health.

Our Mind Health Study has unlocked some valuable insights into the state of mental wellbeing. I am confident that future research, our own as well as others, will continue to empower us to flourish as individuals and communities.

1Source: OECD: A New Benchmark for Mental Health Systems : Tackling the Social and Economic Costs of Mental Ill-Healthhttps://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/4ed890f6-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/4ed890f6-en

AXA Mind Health Study 2022	Executive summar y	p 5

Executive summary

The AXA Mind Health Study is an assessment of the mental wellbeing of people across 11 European and Asian countries and territories. It will be updated annually to plot the mental wellbeing of populations over time, building a body of information that will offer insights into how best to tackle illnesses and promote maximum life satisfaction. These will be invaluable to individuals, health professionals, businesses and policymakers as they chart a course toward good mind health. Apart from comparing countries, it gauges a wide range of social groups - men and women, different generations, parents, employers and employees.

The public is becoming increasingly aware of how important good mind health is

in maintaining physical wellbeing. This growing awareness has been accelerated by the enduring COVID-19 pandemic, with many now believing the impact will be felt well into the future. On the plus side, this globally shared experience has helped sweep away some of the stigma and taboo that has for generations kept mental illness under wraps. There is now a wide recognition of the need to talk about these issues. The AXA Mind Health Study aims to

support this trend. Apart from identifying potential or actual mental ill-health, it also clearly suggests ways of dealing with the factors that will often lead to illness.

Our study results provide a detailed picture of how people fared mentally at the height of the pandemic and since, looking particularly at how they identified and remedied problems. We were interested to see how often healthcare professionals were called upon to help, the way illnesses were managed and what support public health services were able to offer. In some countries or territories, for example, self- diagnosis of mental illness via the internet was more common than formal medical evaluation, especially in Asia. This isn't always a matter of availability. We found that people often turn to family and friends for help. In many cases, people feel that even well-provisioned public health services aren't very well tuned to dealing with mental health problems.

The AXA Mind Health Index is being launched alongside our study. It is designed to distill our findings into a practical and useful format. It provides a way of assessing our current and previous states of mind based on the positive or

negative events around us. It also sets out the actions we can take to improve our situation, through diet, sleep and the way we connect with others, while also identifying factors affecting our mental wellbeing that we have little individual control over, such as healthcare provision or the current COVID-19 pandemic.

It identifies the key elements needed to avoid illness and promote good mind health, the need to forge strong relationships or find secure and fulfilling work. Above all, it shows the key part played by self-acceptance in reaching the very peak of mental wellbeing, being comfortable with who we are, at ease with our weaknesses as well as our strengths.

The past two years have been incredibly tough; the pandemic has taken its toll on both individuals and on society as a whole. But there are reasons to be optimistic. We are more aware now of the importance

of mind health and the simple, everyday actions we can take - like healthy eating and regular exercise - that will help protect our long-term wellbeing.

Key highlights from our study

• Over one-third of people say the pandemic boosted their ability to deal with difficult situations.
• People often turn to family and friends for help rather than healthcare professionals.
• Less than half of those surveyed said they had felt happy or experienced joy in the past year.
• Workers offered support by their employers are twice as likely to flourish as those without support.
• One-thirdof those surveyed were just getting by; fewer than a quarter could be categorized as flourishing.