Stress, financial worries and anxiety among biggest challenges to Hungarians’ mental health

A significant percentage of Hungarian adults have struggled with emotional or mental health issues which have directly affected their daily lives in the past year—this is one of the findings of the September survey conducted by Ipsos for the Hedepy psychological networking platform. The results were shared in time for World Mental Health Day on October 10.

The survey, which is representative of the Hungarian population and was conducted in a total of six Central and Eastern European countries—the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, and Romania—shows that while stress, anxiety, and financial insecurity have become prevalent, another problem is that the vast majority of the population finds itself completely on its own when it comes to these difficulties and does not have anyone to discuss them with.

Rather than a sense of shame (8 percent), the main reason people in Hungary do not seek out a psychologist is the high cost of therapy (38 percent).

Another 24 percent are not speaking up because there is no one they could talk to, while 17 percent do not want to be a burden. Sixteen percent said they couldn't put their feelings into words. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed are completely opposed to therapy, and 62 percent said they have trouble finding the right professional. Many of the youngest respondents are more likely to turn to artificial intelligence for understanding and emotional support (62 percent are already using it as a source of emotional support), whereas among baby boomers, this figure is only 22 percent.

One of the study’s key findings is that emotional burdens have left their mark on the lives of 81 percent of the Hungarian population over the past year. This was reported by 79 percent of men, while among women (84 percent affected), this problem occurs at a higher rate only among Generations Z and Y (86 percent of them). Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) lag significantly behind, with 68 percent of them indicating that they had experienced such difficulties over the past year.

The report, however, notes that the relatively lower prevalence of these issues among baby boomers does not necessarily mean their daily lives are more carefree: instead, it reflects a different attitude toward mental health and a greater reluctance to seek help.

Stress is by far leading the list of difficulties (52 percent), followed by financial worries (36 percent), anxiety (31 percent), and workplace pressure (28 percent). Overall, 67 percent of respondents reported emotional difficulties, and 57 percent had experienced existential anxiety.

73 percent of women had personally experienced mental health issues, and on average, they identified 3.2 different problem areas, compared to an average of 2.6 among men.

“The research data accurately reflect the reality we encounter day in and day out during consultations and therapy sessions. Younger generations are forced to build their lives in a constantly changing, uncertain economic environment, while the expectations placed on them are enormous. The higher percentages of occurrence among women accurately reflect the weight of the social expectations placed on them: “the cumulative burdens of the ‘second shift,’ i.e. caring for their family while also meeting expectations at work,” noted Eszter Temesvári, a psychologist and Hedepy’s community manager in Hungary.

For the survey, 1,010 people in Hungary between the ages of 18 and 70 were interviewed online; the sample is representative of the Hungarian population in terms of gender, age, and region.

We reported on the serious systemic problems in Hungarian mental health care in a previous article.