Havas Study: 63% Of Early Adopting Aussies Say They’re More Stressed Post-COVID
Expectations and concern for our mental health has made a major shift since the pandemic began in 2020. This is one of the key findings from a global mental health and wellbeing report released by Havas.
The hangover from the pandemic is evident with 63 per cent of early adopter or ‘Prosumer’ Australians saying they feel more anxious and stressed now than they did before COVID-19. Prosumers are defined as the top 15 to 20 percent of consumers who are first to market, forward-thinking, influential, proactive and socially conscious.
Critically mental health issues have become so prevalent that nearly nine in 10 Prosumers globally consider it ‘one of the most concerning issues of our time’. In Australia we are even more concerned at 93 per cent.
The major global study into Mental Health by Havas surveyed more than 13,000 women and men in 30 countries to explore what has become the second or “pandemic hangover”. The survey garnered insights into current attitudes of the public, and those who are influencing trends and behaviours, whom Havas classifies as ‘Prosumers’.
A key takeaway is that personal issues are having a greater impact than global concerns on an individual’s mental health, particularly as it relates to anxiety and depression.
Recognising this impact, Havas in Australia is making R U OK? Day on September 14, a mental fitness and wellbeing day for all its 400 Australian employees. The morning is focused on self-care and this year’s theme is “I’m here to hear”, emphasising the importance of creating space to have meaningful conversations. The session will be led by Founding Board Director of R U OK?, Graeme Cowan, followed by an afternoon provided as time off for staff to focus on themselves at home or elsewhere.
Other key findings from the survey include:
• 85 per cent of Prosumer Australians, and 72 per cent of Australians overall, believe addressing mental health issues is crucial for the overall wellbeing of society.
• 70 per cent of Australian Prosumers say among the reasons we are suffering more from mental health issues is that worryingly ‘everything in society is about money’. This is at close to 60 per cent for mainstream Australians.
• 28 per cent of Australian Prosumers cited the ‘economic crisis’ as impacting their mental health and 36 per cent cited their ‘personal or family situation’ as causing mental challenges.
• 15 per cent of Australian Prosumers cited their stressful ‘work situation’ as affecting their mental health.
• Regarding the impact of broader global issues on their mental health, Prosumer Australians rated COVID-19 at 10 per cent, the war in Ukraine and world political tensions at 6 percent and climate change issues at 6 per cent.
• 71 per cent of Australian Prosumers surveyed said that ‘saying everything is okay even when it is not true is a now a social convention’, which is a concerning trend.
James Wright, group CEO Havas Creative Network Australia and chairman of mental fitness charity, Gotcha4Life, said: “Mental health concerns are becoming prevalent in every corner of our communities, workplaces and schools. Whilst it’s being better recognised and addressed there is much more we can do. We need to keep moving from an expectation of simply ‘being well’ as the bar for our health, to an expectation of ‘healthy wellbeing’. That means looking at our health, mental and physical, holistically, so we feel good about ourselves.
“Our survey found 83 per cent of Aussie Prosumers believe having a healthy lifestyle – exercise, eating well, taking care of your body – is the best way to prevent mental health issues. But we should also be looking at ways to improve self-care and to support one another as we all tackle the pandemic hangover”.
Wright said there has never been as much interest in mental health or mental fitness as now. “The challenge to employers and brands is how can we build meaningful opportunities for our people and customers to have authentic connections in real life beyond the screen,” he said.
Wright is chairman of the Board at Gotcha4Life, a not-for-profit Australian foundation with a goal of zero suicides, which is delivering mental fitness programs that engage, educate and empower local communities. With one in two Australians needing mental health support in the last three months, Havas participated in the recent Gotcha4Life 24-hour row on September 9 and 10 (World Suicide Day), furthering their support.
“If we don’t take action on the mental health crisis we have missed the opportunity to learn from everything that we experienced during the pandemic years,” he said. “We know our young people are the loneliest generation of all. They may be brilliant at checking-in but they have forgotten how to check-out from screens and focus on their own and their loved ones emotional well-being.”
Gus Worland, founder and director of Gotcha4Life, said: “We should be teaching skills in our education and health systems to equip people from an early age to help build mental fitness and emotional resilience.
“If our goal is a future free of suicide, then building mental fitness will help in suicide not even being a thought or an option in people’s minds. Many people experience thoughts of suicide and the latest data shows that in 2020-21, one in six (16.7 per cent or around 3.3 million) of Australians aged 16–85 had serious thoughts about taking their own life at some point in their lives.”
In recognition of the need to support our own employees’ mental fitness and support for our colleagues, Havas has been engaging the Gotcha4Life team’s workplace training for Havas agencies in Australia.
In addition, this month Havas has launched Havas Minds: Mental Health Awareness series as part of its global Havas University online training, as part of our commitment to a healthier workplace.
Latest News
‘Blair Is Mr Happy, Beau Is Mr Dopey, I’m Mr Grumpy’ – Top Gear Australia Hosts Reveal What It Was Really Like Filming
Top Gear features the cars you could never afford to drive. It's a bit like the bogan's Gourmet Traveller, really.
Nine’s Total TV Sales Lead Richard Hunwick To Step Down
Nine's Richard Hunwick calls time after 15 years. Hoping for a last trip to the Olympics before getting the gold watch.
Yahoo Academy Culminates With Pitch-Off For Musicians Making A Difference With Trip To Cannes In Cairns On The Line
B&T happy to support the Musicians Making A Difference initiative. Particularly any that encourages more Watusi.
TV Ratings 16/5/24: Nearly 2 Million Tune In To See Sky Blues Win In Women’s State Of Origin
B&T does make jokes about the Budget reply speech but, to his credit, Mr Potato Head rated OK last night.
Binge Launches “Scene:Scents” Sensory Entertainment Campaign, Via Thinkerbell
There's now scented candles to pair with BINGE shows. We're hoping Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures doesn't hear about it.
Jolt Partners With Veridooh For Verification Of Its EV Charger Placements In UK
Although B&T's an avid supporter of EV cars, we'd definitely miss the smell of petrol and the service station pie.
Nine Ad Manager Named Principal Sponsor Of CommBank SmallBiz Week
CommBank's SmallBiz Week is coming to Melbourne on the 29-30 May. B&T's as confused as you are on how that's a week.
Pet Circle & Seven Communications Partner On “Pawtition” To Get Pets On Public Transport
B&T's concerned about the fleas, urine & faeces on public transport - and that's just from fellow passengers!
‘A Win-Win’ – How The Matildas Helped CommBank Become A ‘Globally Iconic Brand’ For The First Time
CommBank's sponsorship of the Matildas is a sport marketing masterclass. The opposite to Nick Kyrgios & his sponsors.
VML Australia Dominates The One Show With 5 Gold Pencils
VML Australia flying the flag at the One Show Awards in New York. Not that we need more flag waving at the moment.
Social Soup: Consumers Looking For “Informative” Not “Funny” Social Content When Making Buying Decisions
In a further blow to ventriloquism everywhere, new research says consumers prefer information over funny videos.
GIO Unveils New “Protect Precious” Brand Positioning & Campaign, Via Ogilvy
Insurer asks what's precious in our lives in new work. Which is better than asking is this business highly flammable.
Digitas & Heckler Singapore Launch Animated Symphony For Riot Game’s Valorant Champions Tour Pacific
Stony silence between you and the graphic arts team at Friday drinks? This gaming news could be an ice breaker.
Wavemaker Global CEO Toby Jenner Appointed Global President, GroupM Clients
Wavemaker’s Toby Jenner continues his career trajectory. But is it enough to move him up to the first class lounge?
Fast 10: Mindshare Head Honcho Maria Grivas On Her “Resting Smiling Face”
Mindshare is having a very fruitful 2024. Here, CEO Maria Grivas reveals her fertilisers & pruning tips to success.
Real Home Care Clients & Staff Star In New HammondCare Campaign
Aged care commercial uses real life clients & staff. B&T has not contacted the actor's union for comment.
Mutinex’s Henry Innis: “I’m Imperfect As A Leader”
Mutinex is being touted as one of the hottest start-ups in the land. And we don't mean that in an Elizabeth Holmes way.
Slew Of Senior Hires At Sparro by Brainlabs & Jack Nimble
B&T loves to report new hires as it shows the healthy state of the industry. That and cocaine usage at work functions.
Initiative’s Fein, Geer, Colter To Depart For Accenture Song
As you read first in B&T, there are significant comings-and-goings at Initiative. Though mainly goings, if we're honest.
Pizza Hut Fined $2.5m For Spamming Customers
To be honest, if you're going to spam customers, cheap pizza deals is probably on the low side of the dodgy scale.
Jetstar & Qantas Perception Ratings Soar After Bonza Cancelled Flights, YouGov Finds
This poll is further proof nothing builds a positive brand image like your competitor monumentally f@cking up.
Pedigree Launches AI-Powered Ad Initiative To Give All Dogs A Home, Via Colenso BBDO & Nexus Studios
B&T encourages this dog adoption initiative. And that's despite us barely being able to look after our own selves.
Apparent Launches “All Heart, No hassle” Integrated Campaign For Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller
Apparent charged with Flight Centre's Corporate Traveller creative. Has avoided any gags about stolen hotel bathrobes.
South African Tourism CMO: ‘We Want Consumers To Experience SA Through The Eyes Of A Child’
B&T chats with South African tourism's Aussie CMO. Admittedly, we had to quickly rectify our Barossa Valley questions.
Market Research Firm TRA Names KFC’s “Look On the Fried Side Of Life” As Australia’s Favourite Ad
A poll of everyday Aussies has revealed our favourite ads. And it'll make difficult reading for the Harvey Norman team.
‘A Big, Big Step In The Right Direction’: Media Buyers React To News Corp’s D_Coded
There was a universal thumbs up for News' D_Coded event. Although there were calls for glitter bombs at the finale.
CommBank Announced As Presenting Partner Of Vogue Codes 2024
Vogue Codes is a top initiative encouraging women into STEM-based careers. All while wearing Jimmy Choos, apparently.
Brad Garbutt Joins OMA As Marketing Lead
Seasoned adlander Garbutt joins the outdoor association. Says he's got the DOOH down pat, but working on the PDOOH.
TV Ratings 15/5/24: Gruen Pulls A Crowd For Aunty As It Enters 16th Season
Although B&T typically shuns predictions, we're expecting big numbers for Peter Dutton's Budget reply speech tonight.
D_Coded panel: ‘If You Are A Marketer Handling Data And Haven’t Spoken To Legal, You’re In Trouble’
This fiery panel was a highlight of Tuesday's D_Coded event. Not that it spilled out into the carpark.
SBS Audio Campaign Tells The Stories Of New Australians, With Multilingual Content Offerings To Assist Migrants
SBS Audio has launched a new marketing campaign for its ‘Australia Explained’ service which supports new migrants to successfully navigate life in Australia and achieve a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion. SBS’s flagship service for new migrants, Australia explained, has launched a multi-platform marketing campaign that reaches into the heart of the migrant […]
Tracker App Launches, Promising Consumers A Read On Brand’s & Products Sustainability Chops
Shoppers can now get access to sustainability information at their fingertips through Tracker, a first-of-its-kind mobile app. The Tracker app centralises sustainability data into a single, easy-to-understand format, helping shoppers make informed choices about the brands and products they support. Shoppers can simply scan the barcode of their favourite supermarket, chemist or department store item […]
Channel Factory Expands Team Across Australia & New Zealand By 20%
Social media agency Channel Factory announces a significant lift in staff numbers. Doesn't thank Tuesday's Budget.
Jaywing Extends Strategy Team Appointing Fran Martin As Senior Brand Strategist
As is often said, you can never have too much strategy. Same can't be said of programmatic & AI.
Tourism Tasmania Taps Broadsheet For Latest “Off Season” Campaign Iteration
Do you like to drape yourself in sheepskin, flannelette & weird, wooly hats? Tasmania in winter is for you.
Netball WA Appoints 303 MullenLowe As Brand Strategy partner
Netball WA appoints 303 MullenLowe for its brand strategy. Any mention of Gina also now strictly forbidden.