Burnout Hits 70% of Media, Marketing & Creative Professionals, Reveals 2024 Mentally Healthy Survey

By The Malketeer

What’s Really Behind This Crisis, And Why Should You Care?

In the glittering world of media, marketing, and creative industries, a sinister undercurrent threatens to drag down even the brightest stars.

The 2024 Mentally Healthy Survey has lifted the veil on a shocking reality: 70% of professionals in these sectors are burning out.

The survey, conducted by Never Not Creative and supported by The Mentally Healthy Change Group and UnLtd, gathered responses from over 2,000 professionals across Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the UK.

It explored the impact of factors such as flexible work arrangements and generational differences on anxiety and depression among industry members.

But what’s really behind this crisis, and why should you care?

The Flexible Work Paradox

You’d think working from home in your pajamas would be a dream come true.

Think again.

While flexible work environments showed the least overall impact on mental health, they’re not the panacea we hoped for.

Home-based workers reported higher levels of depression (38%) compared to their office-bound counterparts (33%).

It seems the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the webcam.

Young, Gifted, and Stressed

If you’re under 30 in this industry, congratulations!

You’re more likely to be anxious and depressed.

The survey revealed that younger professionals are bearing the brunt of the mental health crisis.

Is this the price of ambition, or a sign that something is fundamentally broken in how we nurture new talent?

Diversity: A Double-Edged Sword

Here’s a bitter pill to swallow: identifying as non-male, non-white, non-hetero, or non-leader correlates with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

A staggering 52% of these professionals reported medium levels of anxiety, compared to just 22% of their male, white, hetero, leader counterparts.

Is diversity being championed at the cost of mental health?

The Neurodivergent Creatives

In a twist that’s both surprising and not, 10% of the industry identifies as neurodivergent, with an even higher proportion (17%) in creative roles.

Are we tapping into a unique wellspring of talent, or pushing vulnerable individuals to the brink?

Leaders in the Dark

Hold onto your hats: 51% of business leaders aren’t even aware of recent Psychosocial Hazards legislation.

Only 22% of businesses have a clear plan to address it.

Are we being led by ostriches with their heads in the sand?

The Way Forward: More Than Just Meditation Apps

The survey points to some solutions: better ways of working, clearer role descriptions, more diverse leadership, and sustainable business models.

But is this enough to stem the tide of burnout?

As Andy Wright, Founder of Never Not Creative, puts it: “This is a clear indication that media, marketing and creative professionals often work hard, putting work ahead of their own needs.”

The question is, how long can we sustain this self-sacrificing approach before the entire industry collapses under the weight of its own ambition?

It’s time to face facts: the creative industries we love are slowly killing us.

The glitz and glamour hide a dark underbelly of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

Unless we take drastic action now, we may be witnessing the slow death of creativity itself.

The clock is ticking.

What will you do?