New Zealand employees' mental health still 'significantly strained'

The mental health of New Zealand employees remains significantly strained, according to a new report, despite slightly improving since last year.

The mental health score of Kiwis is at 59.6 in January 2024, according to the TELUS Mental Health Index, up from 58.7 in September 2023.

"Despite a modest improvement, the mental health of workers in New Zealand remains significantly strained," the report read.

According to the index, women have a significantly lower mental health score (59.4) than men (59.8).

Mental health score breakdown

By position, managers reported a higher mental health score (60.6) than non-managers (59.), according to the report.

By location, employees in Waikato reported the highest mental health score with 61.2, followed by those in Auckland (61.0), Bay of Plenty (60.3), and then Canterbury (60.1).

The lowest mental health score was recorded from employees in Manawatū-Whanganui and Taranaki, with 56.1. Other regions with low scores include Otago and Southland (57.3), as well as Wellington (57.3).

In terms of industry, employees from the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services have the highest mental health score of 65.9.

This is followed by employees from the Manufacturing (65.1), Transportation and Warehousing (63.0), and Educational Services (63.0) sectors.

Employees with the lowest mental health scores were from other services (except Public Administration). This is followed by those from the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (51.6), as well as Wholesale Trade (53.6).

The TELUS Mental Health Index offered further insights on what affects Kiwis' mental health. It also underscored its impact on employees. Grab your copy here.