More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Canadian employees say they’ve experienced symptoms that can develop into burnout, according to a new survey by Pollara Strategic Insights and Workplace Strategies for Mental Health on behalf of the Canada Life Assurance Co. and Mental Health Research Canada.
The survey, which polled roughly 2,000 workers, found fatigue (40 per cent) was the No. 1 burnout symptom cited by respondents, followed by lowered levels of motivation (38 per cent), reduced levels of efficiency and energy (29 per cent) and feelings of irritability (26 per cent).
Among respondents who said they’ve either never or only sometimes experienced burnout, two-thirds (64 per cent) acknowledged still experiencing at least one symptom. Notably, frontline health-care workers were more likely to experience fatigue (57 per cent), irritability (40 per cent), frustration (35 per cent) and headaches (28 per cent).
Read: Survey finds a third of Canadian employees currently experiencing burnout
Although a third (32 per cent) of respondents said their mental health has improved over the past 12 months, 22 per cent reported a decline. A quarter (24 per cent) reported experiencing burnout “most of the time” or “always,” up from 21 per cent last year but down significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Indeed, 12 per cent reported experiencing high levels of anxiety and 10 per cent said they’ve experienced high levels of depression, percentages that increase among unemployed Canadians (17 per cent each).
Half (50 per cent) of respondents believe their employer prioritizes preventing worker burnout and more than six in 10 (68 per cent) said they consider their workplace psychologically safe. However, 23 per cent felt their workplace isn’t psychologically safe, including nine per cent who strongly disagreed. Those in the public (28 per cent) and health-care (35 per cent) sectors were also more likely to disagree with this statement, while nine per cent were unsure.
Meanwhile, 92 per cent of managers said they can identify when team members are struggling with psychological distress at least some of the time and 53 per cent said they can do so most of the time. Notably, more than three-quarters (77 per cent) were confident in their ability to support team members once distress is identified.
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