Mental health in APAC: How brands can enhance people’s well-being

The increasing demands of modern life have combined with the pandemic to put even greater pressure on the wellbeing of APAC’s people, who find stress the biggest threat to wellness, according to McCann Worldgroup.

On World Mental Health Day earlier this month,  the agency network shared some insights on the mental health of APAC drawn from three of its recent Truth Studies: the “Truth about Culture & COVID-19”; the “Truth about Gen Z”; and the “Truth about Wellness”.

Why it matters

Brands that see the specific challenges and perspectives in Asia Pacific may wish to consider their role as companions along the mental wellness journey and consider how they can help to optimise the wellbeing that people strive for.

Key insights

• Q: “What is wellness?” and A: “A state of mind/my emotions” is ranked 31% globally vs 16% China and 9% Japan, with both markets interpreting wellness as more of a “physical state”.
• Despite this, China and Japan both index higher than the global average on the perspective of wellness being “a way of life”, indicating a more holistic view.
• Almost half of people surveyed globally agree that stress is the biggest threat to wellness, with APAC in alignment: China at 48%, India at 45% and Japan at 40%.
• Due to COVID-19, people are feeling more anxious than before and APAC markets index higher than the global average of 30.5%, with 42.5% for Japan and 31.6% for China.
• Some 61% of people in APAC feel pressure to be constantly busy and 41% report increased levels of anxiety.
• Compared with 58% of the general population globally, 69% of Gen Zs in APAC feel pressure to be constantly busy, with Hong Kong, India and Indonesia topping the list.

Takeaway

“It is clear that more action is needed around mental health. With consumers believing in the power of brands to make a difference, there are opportunities for brands to step up and consider their role in mental wellness to be more cognisant, supportive and action-oriented” – Richard McCabe, Chief strategy officer, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific.