Italians stressed at work amidst frustration and malaise: 8 out of 10 people are at risk of burn out
In the first four months of 2024, people experiencing discomfort at work increased by 109.7% compared to 2023. Things are worse in big cities: Milan is in the lead, then Rome and Turin
ROME – In Italy, the number of people who declare they have psychological suffering related to the workplace is increasing: according to Inail, in fact, in the first quarter of 2024 there were over 22,000 reports of work-related illnesses to mental and behavioral disorders, with a growth of 17.9% compared to the same period in 2023. From the struggle to balance personal and work life to frustration for a lack of growth professional, the psychological discomfort connected to work manifests itself in different forms and sectors, affecting a large portion of Italian workers who end up manifesting burnout syndrome, stress, frustration, psychological disorders. This is also confirmed by the data collected by the online psychology service Unobravo as part of the analysis conducted on psychological distress related to work in Italy: in the first quarter of 2024, people experiencing distress at work increased by 109%. .7% compared to the same period in 2023.
In particular, 28.3% of those who turned to Unobravo in search of support stated that they had difficulties on the professional front. Of these, more than half (57.3%) show suffering generated by work and 10% attribute the main complications they face in everyday life to the workplace. Psychological discomfort resulting from work, in fact, can have a strong impact on personal life, also leading to physical symptoms which, if not treated, can lead to a condition of severe stress and burnout syndrome. This is why it is important to intervene promptly, including asking for the support of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
WORK STRESS IN ITALY: THE WOMEN MOST EXPOSED TO RISK
From the analysis conducted by Unobravo, at a national level, it is above all women who seek psychological support for work-related problems (66.3%, compared to 33.7% of men) and people who are probably in the first phase of their professional career: 62.9% are between 25 and 34 years old, while 22.8% are between 35 and 44 years.
BURNOUT SYNDROME: 8 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE AT RISK
When work-related stress continues over time, burnout syndrome can occur, a condition that presents psychological, physical and non-specific symptoms and which involves an ever-increasing number of workers. For example, among those who fear suffering from burnout syndrome in Italy and who have undergone the free screening test, 82.9% could be at risk, of which 61.6% at high risk, while the 21.3% moderate.
LOMBARDY AND LAZIO THE MOST ‘CRITICISM’ IN REGARD TO WORKING WELL-BEING
Problems related to well-being at work are felt above all in Lombardy (27%) andLazio(10.6%), i.e. the two most populous regions in Italy , as well as working centers par excellence due to the presence of Milan and Rome. This is followed, according to the Unobravo analysis, by Emilia-Romagna (9.4%), Veneto (8.9%) and Piedmont (8 ,6%). Piedmont, in particular, is the region which, comparing the data relating to the same period of 2023, shows the greatest increase (+146.7%) compared to the Italian average, at 109.7%. The problems seem to ease in the southern regions, and the regions with the highest percentages in this case are Campania (5.6%), Sicily (4.3%) and Puglia (4.2%).
MILAN IN FIRST PLACE AMONG THE PROVINCES WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF WORK STRESS
Going into even more detail at a geographical level, the data collected by Unobravo show how at a provincial level the highest percentage of those who declare they have psychological problems related to the work sphere is recorded in Milan (13.2%). In second place is the Metropolitan City of Rome (8.2%), while in third place is Turin (4.9%). Followed by Bologna (3.4%), Naples (2.9%), Monza and Brianza (2.4%), Varese (2.1%), Bergamo (2%), Padua and Brescia (both 1.9% ).
“If not treated, work-related psychological discomfort can lead to physical symptoms and serious conditions that impact and interfere negatively with people’s lives, such as burnout syndrome – explains Dr. Valeria Fiorenza Perris, psychotherapist and clinician director of Unobravo-. The syndrome develops in four phases: enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations, stagnation, frustration and apathy. Recognizing them as soon as possible is essential to request, in time and before the syndrome has a serious impact on one’s life, the intervention and support of a psychologist or psychotherapist, figures who can help re-establish a balance between private and professional life”.