Public relations experts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) discuss mental health issues

According to the MENA Mental Health Report by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), 42 percent of people feel the epidemic has made their mental health worse, and one in ten people has experienced mental illness.

According to a new survey, nearly 60% of public relations (PR) professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area say their company does not do enough, or does not do enough, to assist their employees’ mental health. As per the MENA Mental Health Report from the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), 44 percent of respondents have not received any communication from their employer about mental health in the previous 12 months, and only 15 percent feel ‘completely supported’ by their employer on this issue. It also discovered that 36% of persons who had a mental health problem in the previous year did not speak to anyone at work about it – a rate that jumps to 41% for women and drops to 33% for men.

Those who did confide in a coworker or manager, on the other hand, indicated they were satisfied with the reaction.

“It is apparent that the mental health burden of Covid-19 is not going away quickly, even if we have, I hope, seen the worst of this pandemic,” Francis Ingham, MPRCA, director general of the PRCA, said.

“I’m delighted that PRCA members throughout the Middle East and North Africa, as well as around the world, are taking mental health seriously.” I’m hoping that this report will assist even more of them in doing so.”

PRCA MENA believes that the report’s four conclusions would spark conversation among its members and the entire PR profession in the area. These are the conclusions:

• For better or worse, Covid-19 is a major mental health issue. Even if it has benefited the mental health of some people so far, it is important to realize that the epidemic will continue to evolve and transform the way we live and work.
• While the survey suggests that women are less likely than males to disclose mental health difficulties with a coworker, there is a lack of gender diversity in the report. This emphasizes the need of avoiding outdated assumptions about male and female behaviors and attributes.
• According to the survey, younger generations are more engaged and aware of mental health challenges. However, this does not rule out the possibility that more senior members of the profession have mental health issues; the profession should not disregard their needs or believe they are less vulnerable to mental illness.
• In principle, the majority of respondents indicate they are willing to get help if they are suffering from mental illness. However, there is a significant difference between what people believe someone should do in response to symptoms of mental illness and what they actually do.

Source: Arabian Business