Helping minds flourish

Good mind health lets us think, feel and act in a way that allows us to enjoy life, overcome challenges that come our way and be more productive. And when we struggle with ill mental health, it has the opposite effect. In 2022:

2 in 5 Brits said they were living with a mental health condition¹

£28 billion wiped from the UK economy due to poor mental health at work²

We want people, families, small business owners, and businesses to flourish

We spoke to 30,000 people to understand the state of mind health across 16 different countries, including the Americas, Europe and Asia for the AXA Mind Health Study. Now in its third year, it identifies how people are feeling and where they sit on the Mind Health Meter, from Struggling – associated with emotional distress - to Flourishing – the pinnacle of good mind health.

An AXA meter with 4 measurements which are Struggling, languishing, getting by and Flourishing. The meter is pointing at Getting By.

Us Brits have the worst mind health

People in the UK are more likely to be struggling with their mind health compared to any other country surveyed. When compared to last year’s study, there’s a slight increase in those who are Flourishing, up from 18% in 2022 to 23% in 2023. But that’s still a bleak mind health outlook, with women also more likely to be suffering from a mental health condition than males (38% vs 27%).

Illustration of a person feeding his dog with a sad expression in front of a group of 4 people who are socializing on the grass.

1 in 5 people are Struggling

More Brits are Struggling when compared to the global average (1 in 9).

Illustration of three people, one man and two women, standing in front of a pink background. They appear to be having a conversation while holding papers and tablets

1 in 3 people have a mental health condition

Anxiety disorders (20%) and depression (21%) are the most common conditions.

Illustration of two young people drawing graffiti on a wall

1 in 2 young people have a mental health condition

Ages 18 to 24 (young people) have the highest prevalence of mental ill health.

A healthy mind begins with kind

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, but we need to make our mind health a priority. The AXA Mind Health Study reveals that being kind to yourself and practicing self-acceptance, is the most important skill to achieve a flourishing mind.

Kindness is physiologically the opposite of stress. When we’re kind to ourselves, or someone else, it dials up the brain regions associated with happiness and dials down the regions associated with stress and anxiety. Kindness can reduce blood pressure, protect against depression, and boost the immune system.

Dr. David R Hamilton, Kindness Scientist and Author

Watch Dr. David R Hamilton explain the link between flourishing minds and kindnesslink to Dr David R Hamilition's blog

Nurturing your mind health and how to deal with difficult feelings

Anyone can experience feelings of stress and anxiety. And it shows up differently depending on the circumstance and our ability to navigate it. It’s important to proactively look after our minds and seek help when the feelings become too much. And, just like adults, children and young people can experience a mental health condition. Dr Joshua Harwood, Child Clinical Psychologist, explains what signs parents should look for.

Managing stress, anxiety and depressionlink to mental health page in axa health Supporting children’s mental health Go to children and young people page in axa health

Mind health in the workplace

Whether you're a small business with a few employees, or a large corporate with thousands, looking after the health and wellbeing of your people allows them to be more productive and less likely to resign³. To support your business, we’ve highlighted actionable insights from the AXA Mind Health Study and created mental health guides and wellbeing programmes.