GCI Health, HealthyWomen and Prevention Magazine announced the next phase of their #BeHealthiHer Movement to help identify and break down the barriers of isolation and stigma associated with stress and anxiety. Although mental health issues have been receiving increased national attention, there is still a lack of effective resources to help address these conditions, particularly in the workplace.
As a first step, the partnership is launching a survey to uncover insights to better understand if women truly know the difference between stress and what could be an anxiety disorder that requires medical attention, as many of the symptoms—and triggers—overlap. The survey will also reveal what women are currently doing to prevent or manage their stress and/or anxiety. The survey is available at: https://stressandanxiety2019.surveyanalytics.com.
Nearly 90% of women in last year’s inaugural BeHealthiHer survey described their stress levels as mod- erate to high, with almost 40% revealing they had been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. In a fol- low-up survey examining stress levels of women working in the communications industry, stress levels jumped to 97%.
“With staggering statistics showing women experiencing stress, anxiety and occupational burn-out, we knew the next step for the BeHealthiHer Movement meant using our platform to dig deeper into these rampant mental health issues,” said Wendy Lund, CEO of GCI Health. “The repository of expert support and resources we’ve created is intended to help women cope with the rising epidemic of stress and anx- iety and intercept burn-out before it occurs.”
The #BeHealthiHerMovement is also aiming to identify preventive solutions to help women avoid stress and burn-out in the workplace and in their lives. Just last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized work “burn-out” as an occupational phenomenon. The condition is now included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which characterizes it as feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or negativism or cynicism re- lated to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.
“We know that many of Prevention’s readers live with stress and anxiety on a daily basis, but they may not realize the opportunities they have to feel better, and in doing so, avoid the serious health conditions associated with stress and anxiety,” said Sarah Smith, Content Director, Prevention. “We’re eager to learn more about their experiences and knowledge, and how organizations like Prevention, Healthy- Women, and GCI Health can help women better manage these conditions in their lives.”
With the insights from this survey, GCI Health, HealthyWomen and Prevention look to combine their collective thought power and passion for women’s health to provide resources that will engage and sup- port women experiencing stress and/or anxiety in new ways, with the hope of breaking down the barriers and stigma associated with these conditions.
“It is a complete balancing act. Today, we are juggling careers, caring for children, and many of us are managing or beginning to care for our parents, along with all the other responsibilities, including the household, social calendar and day-to-day commitments of our families. It’s easy to see how we could sometimes misunderstand or ignore symptoms of stress and anxiety,” said Beth Battaglino, RN, CEO, HealthyWomen. “It is important for us to understand these symptoms, and the connection between stress and anxiety to our overall health, so that we can manage them successfully and stay a ‘healthier her’.”
