74% of young UAE workers say mental health is affecting their work: Report

Mental health is increasingly affecting younger workers in the UAE, with nearly three in four employees aged 18 to 24 saying it has affected how they work, according to the latest Cigna Healthcare International Health Study in collaboration with YouGov.

The study, which surveyed more than 12,000 people across 13 markets, found that 74% of young UAE adults say their mental health has affected their work. Mental well-being is also their top health priority, with 40% identifying it as the area they most want to improve, up 15 percentage points from last year.

The findings point to a growing gap between the importance younger adults place on mental well-being and the support they are accessing. Just 6% of respondents aged 18 to 24 said they had received counseling or therapy in the past year.

The group also recorded a decline across several measures. Its vitality score fell 4.6 points to 66.6, making it the only demographic group in the UAE to record a decline. Mental well-being fell 11 percentage points to 46%, while financial and workplace well-being also declined.

The findings come as overall resilience remains relatively strong across the UAE. The country’s vitality score rose to 73.8 from 73.3 last year, while overall well-being held steady at 70%.

Seven in 10 UAE respondents say they can adapt to change, while 69% say they can bounce back after illness, injury or other hardship. Family well-being was the country’s highest-rated pillar at 71%.

Stress, however, remains widespread. Eighty-two percent of respondents said they had experienced stress, down two percentage points from last year.

Despite the pressure, UAE employees continue to report strong levels of workplace commitment. More than three-quarters (76%) say they are willing to work harder to help their organization succeed, while 72% remain enthusiastic about their jobs.

Workplace well-being, however, fell three percentage points to 52%. Overall, 60% of respondents said their mental health had affected how they work, while fewer than half, or 49%, said they feel understood by their immediate manager, down five percentage points from last year.

The findings suggest that strong employee commitment does not necessarily mean workers are experiencing strong well-being, particularly as younger employees face changing pressures at work and outside it.

Leah Cotterill, CEO of Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa outside Saudi Arabia, said the UAE’s strong vitality and adaptability provide a foundation for long-term well-being, but that support needs to reflect differences across generations and life stages.

“Sustainable well-being depends on people being able to understand and access the support available to them,” Cotterill said. “Employers, managers and healthcare providers all have a role to play in making that experience easier and ensuring people can get the right help when they need it,” she added.

For employers and managers, the report highlights the importance of understanding these changing needs and making support easier to access, particularly regarding mental health and financial pressures.