By Navlika Ratangee, Managing Director at Lyra South Africa
Employee stress has been continually on the rise since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a top priority for employers yet, mental health care continues to fall short. Despite 89% of employees globally experiencing at least one mental health episode in the last year, only 25% of South Africans receive the help they need. In Africa, a staggering 90% remain unaided – this is according to the latest findings from Lyra Health’s 2025 State of Workforce Mental Health Report. [1]
The study surveyed over 500 HR and employee benefit leaders and 7,500 employees across the United States, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and its findings underscore a critical shift in how both employers and employees view mental health. Across all countries, stress emerged as the top mental health challenge, with 34% of local South African employees identifying it as their primary concern. This trend was echoed by HR and benefits leaders, 50% of whom cited stress as a major issue for their workforce – a significant 32% increase from 2024.
Importantly, the study reveals that work itself is a major source of stress. In the US, 37% of workers ranked ‘work-related stress and burnout’ among the top three factors negatively affecting their mental health.
This resonates locally with our South African statistics showing the primary contributors being excessive workloads and discontent (18.6%), work/ life integration (18.2%) and management-related concerns – management style and conflict (12.6%)
Over and above work-related stress, South Africans highlight the most common issues as clinical stress (34%), general anxiety (23%), depression (7%), burden of support (3.1%) and burnout (1.4%). These specific problem type cases were calculated as a percentage of all cases managed by our Lyra team.
The consequences of poor mental health in the workplace are far-reaching, and the numbers are sobering. A staggering 84% of employees in the Lyra SA data reported that work-related mental health struggles hurt their performance – 24% up from previous years.
On a more positive note, it is encouraging to see that globally, the gap between how employers and employees view mental health support is narrowing. More organisations are offering resources, and employees are increasingly aware of and willing to use them. For instance, 62% of employees now believe mental health support has become a higher priority for their company, up from 46% last year.
This is supported with the findings that 59% of employees say that their company understands how to create a mentally healthy workplace, compared to 43% previously and 68% feeling confident in seeking mental health support provided by their company, an increase of 52% from 2024. This is progress, and something that we are experiencing in South Africa no doubt. But, as a nation, we are not out the proverbial woods as yet. Leveraging our insights from our work in corporate SA, here is what decision makers can do to help curb the effects of poor mental wellbeing in the workplace:
Bridge the communication gap around mental health resources
While many organisations believe they are offering sufficient well-being resources, employees often don’t share this view. Clear, consistent communication which is supported by visible leadership endorsement ensures that staff not only know what’s available but also feel encouraged to make use of it.
Address financial wellbeing as part of mental health
Financial stress is one of the most pressing challenges impacting employees in South Africa today. Employers should consider integrating financial literacy, debt management support and access to trusted financial advisors into their wellness programmes. Reducing money-related anxiety directly improves focus, productivity and overall wellbeing.
Build mental health literacy through training
Equipping managers and teams with the ability to recognise early signs of distress and respond appropriately is vital. Not only as a once off exercise but as a sustained focus. Mental health literacy reduces stigma, encourages psychological safety and connects employees to support before issues escalate.
Simplify access to care for a diverse workforce
Care must be easy to access and tailored to different working environments. A blend of digital tools, employee helplines and flexible counselling options ensure that every employee has a pathway to support, regardless of where or how they work.
Embed personalisation within a holistic wellbeing strategy
Diverse, personalised support from dedicated counsellors to culturally sensitive platforms is most effective when embedded within a broader organisational wellbeing strategy. Leadership plays a critical role: by modelling vulnerability, prioritising psychological safety and making wellbeing a business priority, leaders create a culture where employees trust and use the support available.
At its core, supporting mental health in the workplace is about people. When employees feel seen, supported and safe, they are able to thrive. And when people thrive… so do businesses.
