Ipsos Health Service Report 2024: Mental Health seen as the biggest Health issue
Across 31 countries 44% rate the quality of the healthcare they receive as good, but access to treatment and not enough staff are seen as major systemic challenges
While the Covid-19 virus is a respiratory disease, perhaps the pandemic’s biggest long-term effect on public health will be on mental health.
We have seen a fundamental shift in attitudes to mental health compared to 2018, when we first started the Ipsos Health Service Report, and today. Six years ago, 27% chose mental health as one of the biggest health problems, putting it third, today that figure is 45% on average across 31 countries, now first. Additionally, stress is ranked third, with 31% saying it is one of the biggest issues.
However, alongside looking at the global picture, we should also note the big differences in attitudes between countries and genders. In all but two countries (India and Thailand) women are more likely to choose mental health as a health concern.
Health across generations
The gender gap on mental health is much greater amongst young people. Fifty-five per cent of Gen Z women choose mental health as one of the biggest health problems, compared to 37% of Gen Z men. Amongst the oldest generation in this survey, the gap between men and women Baby Boomers is much smaller (27% and 26% respectively).
While mental health is the top health concern on average, it is not for Baby Boomers. Cancer, a disease traditionally more likely to affect older people, is the number one health problem for those born between 1945 and 1965 (46%), and more so in women (48%) compared to men (44%).
In this year’s survey, we asked people to assess how likely they were to get cancer in their country, as well as how widespread obesity is. We found that people were better at understanding their obesity risk than their cancer risk. With many countries seeing a fall in cancer screenings during the pandemic, and now some cancers affecting more younger people than in the past, it is important for people to be able to understand what risk they have of getting the disease.
Healthcare satisfaction
Across 31 countries, people’s perceptions of the current and future quality of their healthcare system remain positive, albeit faltering somewhat.
This year, 44% say the quality of their countries healthcare system is either ‘very good’ or ‘good’ (vs. 21% who say it is poor). During the pandemic there was an increase in satisfaction with the healthcare people had access to and this peaked in 2021 when 53% described the care as good. Now that figure has fallen and returned to the level it was before the Covid-19 virus (44% in 2018).
Download the 2024 report to read on and discover more insights.
Previous editions
Ipsos Health Service Report 2023
Ipsos Health Service Report 2022
Ipsos Health Service Report 2021
