Research by TTG has uncovered the shocking state of the mental health of the travel industry, with almost 90% of those surveyed admitting their mental health has deteriorated as a result of the pandemic.

The findings are part of an anonymous snapshot survey by TTG examining the attitudes towards mental health in travel amid the pandemic, and hearing accounts of how professional and personal strains have impacted the wellbeing of the industry.

A total of 202 people completed the study, which ran 6-19 October, including members of ITT, Aito, Advantage, TTNG, Midcounties, AWTE and the SPAA. 

The survey found that of the 86% who said their mental health had deteriorated during the crisis, 41% said they had experienced a “slight worsening”, with 45% describing their mental health as being “much worse”.

When asked to rank their five biggest worries during the past seven months, “fear of job loss” was ranked first by 30% of respondents, with “financial issues” selected top by 26%.

The industry’s “downturn in business” was ranked as the second most worrying concern, by 30%, while 37% of respondents said “personal health concerns” were their least pressing issue.

When asked to describe how mental health issues usually manifested, 88% of respondents said “stress”, while “lack of sleep” was selected by 78%. 

“Increased appetite” (37%) and “high blood pressure” (22%) were also common responses, while concerningly seven respondents cited “acts of self-harm”.

Anxiety, panic attacks and mood swings were among the most frequently occurring issues described in the “other” category (26%).

RISING FRUSTRATIONS

Asked if they had sought help for their mental health before the pandemic – only 29% said yes – and if they had since lockdown, 79% said no.

Among the main reasons for not seeking help, respondents said it was “difficult to get an appointment”, they had “no time to do it”, and some were “worried about it being on my medical record”. Others said they were “trying to manage it” themselves. 

A total of 31% said they “thought the problems would go away” and 11% said they “felt too embarrassed” and “were worried about repercussions at work”.

Having “nobody to tell” or not knowing who to tell was cited by 13%. Asked to describe their “worst moment during the pandemic”, when they had felt at their lowest, one respondent recounted the pain of “watching the previous year’s work go down the drain” and the “frustrations caused by a lack of awareness of the industry’s plight by those outside”.

“I am banging my head against a brick wall,” they said.

Another expressed the “anxiousness” of waiting for travel corridor announcements: “I have a constant feeling of stress and anxiety. I’m emotional and angry. The impact this is having on the travel industry [is] on my mind constantly.”

“The past four to six weeks have seen a steady deterioration in my mental health, no light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel and a lack of understanding and support from government,” said another respondent.

One likened “losing a job you truly love” as “like a death”. “It’s a mourning process with very little support,” they said, while another respondent explained how their mental health had been impacted by “the unknown timeline and [being] unsure of what is happening next”.

Questioned as to whether “there is enough emphasis” on mental health in the travel industry, 55% of respondents said they believed there currently is not.

Within that overall figure, 29% said the subject is “rarely” addressed and only brought up on certain occasions, while 26% said there was “nowhere near enough” focus on the issue.

LACK OF SUPPORT

Some 71% of respondents said they believed mental health “does not receive enough focus or investment” within the businesses they belong to.

Within that figure 43% said they “partly” receive adequate support, but the issue “is not given as much attention as it needs” – while 28% went even further to say “it’s not been on the agenda for our business at all” during the pandemic.

Comments on the subject differed, with one respondent claiming mental health in their company was “deemed fashionable, but management don’t do enough” to help staff, while another said their workplace had been “incredible”, adding: “Things would have been awful had they not been so understanding and supportive.”

When it came to discussing their own mental health in the workplace, only 15% of respondents said they “frequently” talked about it with colleagues and were “encouraged to by management”, 30% said the topic was “rarely” mentioned and 26% answered: “We’ve never discussed mental health at work.”