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More than one in four are diagnosed with an issue but almost half believe it counts against them, report finds.
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Mental health ‘stigma’ means small business slow to seek help
15 December 2022
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9 minute read
Many small business owners are reluctant to request mental health support because of the stigma attached to it, according to a Treasury report.
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The report, from a survey of 1,007 small business owners in January-February, showed 22 per cent had been recently diagnosed with a mental health condition ranging from anxiety (14 per cent) to depression (12 per cent) and stress-related problems (12 per cent).
Small Business and Mental Health Through the Pandemic found mental health was a key issue in the sector but many were reluctant to reach out for help.
Fifty-two per cent of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they were more likely to seek mental health support if they could remain anonymous, while 46 per cent believed they would be treated poorly if they disclosed a mental illness diagnosis.
More than four out of 10 would decline to tell anyone if they had been diagnosed with depression while one in three “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” with the statement, “I feel safe talking about my mental health with peers and colleagues”.
More than a quarter of small business respondents (28 per cent) reported feeling embarrassed to ask for help with their mental health.
The report built on an earlier survey conducted in April–May 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, which took in 1,015 small business owners and 35 in-depth interviews.
A strong theme emerged that many small business owners felt they needed to “do it all” and maintain the appearance of being fine even when they were struggling with their mental health because others — family, business partners, employees, and suppliers — depended on them.
Barriers to accessing mental health treatment remain a problem for small business owners along with a lack of effective strategies to monitor and maintain their mental health, despite government investment in tailored support.
Many thought information about mental health support services was difficult to find and that costs were too steep.
More than a quarter said it was difficult to access mental health support services available to small business owners, while 29 said finding information about them was difficult.
Only 27 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that costs associated with mental health support services were affordable, leaving a large proportion of small respondents feeling that the services were too expensive.
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