Stress puts health of professionals at risk, report finds

South Africa’s professionals now experience stress as a persistent reality rather than isolated incidents, according to the findings of the Profmed 2025 stress index.

The survey was carried out among 4,000 members of the Profmed Medical Aid for professionals in South Africa. Among the findings was a marked shift in how South African professionals are experiencing stress from once-manageable, isolated pressures to a persistent, multilayered reality.

The report reveals “a growing group of professionals who are spending prolonged periods in a heightened state of pressure”, with 44.05% of respondents saying this was having a negative impact on their long-term physical and mental health.

“Financial strain, workplace culture, systemic pressures and lifestyle challenges now intersect, compounding daily stress,” says the study. “Nearly a third of respondents report disrupted sleep and exercise patterns, while 44% say they feel overwhelmed despite using coping strategies. Alarmingly, many acknowledge the health impact of stress but delay seeking support due to cost, time constraints or unsupportive work environments.”

Key findings from the study:

• Stress has tangible and long-lasting implications for health. Almost 32% of respondents report that increasing pressure has affected their ability to exercise, 33% claim that stress has impacted their sleep schedule and just under 30% have experienced disrupted eating patterns. A further 44.05% of respondents feel overwhelmed despite coping strategies such as physical exercise, mindfulness practices and therapy.
• Professionals in the healthcare/medical sector report the highest levels of stress (41.81%).
• Almost 11% of respondents use substances such as alcohol, caffeine, cannabis and other substances as coping mechanisms.
• Almost half of respondents expressed concern about the long-term effect of stress on their mental health. Just as many expressed an openness to therapy or counselling as a source of support, but 29% found these professional services to be unaffordable.
• The index draws on longitudinal data, tracking how stress has evolved from primarily financial concerns before 2020 to pandemic-driven anxiety and now a complex mix of economic, workplace and lifestyle pressures.

After professionals in the healthcare sector, those in finance and banking were most stressed at 8.08%; legal (7.56%); built environment (7.10%); education (5.19%); information and communications technology (ICT) (3.38); trade and retail (1.54%); creative industries (1.4%); transportation and logistics (1.47%) and a large group of “other” at 23.48%.

The top coping mechanism surveyed was exercise, at 64.93%. Then came talking to friends and family (55.3%); mindfulness or meditation practices (28.98%); avoidance, for example, sleeping and procrastination (28.78%); social media or digital distractions (26.45%); therapy or counselling (13.03); and using alcohol, cannabis, caffeine and/or illicit substances (10.85%).

According to the index, among the group who used substances, such as alcohol and cannabis, 17.44% said they did not feel the need to reduce the amount they consumed to help manage stress. A further 6.51% actively reduced levels but said they struggled and 2.59% said they wanted to.

When it comes to seeking outside help, as many as 43.56% said they did not because they preferred to handle things privately. For 29.39%, the cost of therapy and mental health care deterred them while 22.65% cited time constraints and 11.35% said they did not think it would help. Some said they did not have access to services in their area (10.85%), while for others social stigma stopped them (3.37%). Of the respondents, 46.66% said they were “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about the long-term effect of stress on their mental health.

Looking more closely at the above reasons, Profmed clinical executive Justine Lacy agrees that cost could be a barrier to one-on-one therapy with a clinical psychologist, which is expensive.

“Time and workload may be paired together as a second barrier to seeking help. Professionals often prioritise work over wellbeing. Work culture and stigma could be viewed as a third barrier because mental health issues may be seen as a weakness in professional settings. There may be fear of judgment or a loss of credibility, which prevents many professionals from seeking help,” Lacy says.

Almost half said they believed mental health support should be free, while 27.89% said they would pay R501-R800 a month for mental health support and 9.19% said they would pay more than R1,000. Just more than half said they would choose in-person therapy or counselling (50.71%) and 48.04% opted for fitness and nutrition plans as the form of mental health support they would be most willing to try.

Wellness apps are gaining popularity with 17.37% choosing them, 17.69% said they were open to online counselling while 12.47% said they would consider joining a support group.

Sustained stress is associated with fatigue, disrupted sleep and reduced emotional capacity. When asked whether they had changed their sleep and exercise habits over the past year due to stress, 33.32% of respondents said their sleep schedule had changed and 31.89% said exercise frequency was down. Eating patterns (29.61%), social engagement (22.6%) and work productivity (29.38%) had also been affected.

Commenting on the physical and mental health implications of prolonged stress, Lacy says there is something called the body-mind feedback loop, which demonstrates how stress does not exist in isolation.

“Almost every system in the body is affected by stress, which causes the creation of a cycle that affects both body and mind.

“Stress triggers physical symptoms such as tension headaches, fatigue and digestive problems. Stress also impacts mental wellbeing, leading to unhealthy coping behaviours like overeating, lack of exercise or increased alcohol use. These behaviours further strain the body, reinforcing the physical and emotional effects of stress. In essence, stress, physical symptoms and coping behaviours interact in a self-perpetuating loop, making early recognition and intervention critical,” she says.

“What is key to understand is that the longer stress persists without effective management, the greater the risk of chronic diseases and serious mental health issues. Early recognition, coping strategies and lifestyle adjustments are essential to break this cycle.”

Several events contributed to the present day reality, according to the report: “The Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped stress, introducing health anxiety, uncertainty and lifestyle disruption. Before 2020, the major stressor was financial pressure, though comparatively many professionals were able to make positive shifts towards healthier coping mechanisms.

“The years following the pandemic were characterised by a fear of loss of income and the potential of losing a family member to Covid. In 2022, against the backdrop of a severe economic downturn, systemic pressures (including the cost of living, job security and unreliable infrastructure) overtook pandemic concerns as primary stress drivers.

“During 2023 and 2024, work-life imbalance, toxic workplace environments and sustained financial pressure led to mounting stress levels, leading up to the present where stress has become a multi-faceted reality.”

Lacy adds: “The results for 2025 have demonstrated a clear turning point in stress dynamics. Stress is no longer seen as being self-contained but rather compounded by many different interconnected and often complex factors, making stress a multi-dimensional issue, with fewer professionals seeking help despite the rising impact.

“If anything, this year’s findings have re-emphasised the pressing need for proactive, preventative support that can protect your health before it is compromised. Stress is no longer a single event, it’s a network of pressures amplified by modern life and global crises. These factors make it more persistent and harder to manage.”

Lacy continues: “What’s striking in the 2025 findings is how many professionals know the impact stress is having on their health yet still feel unable to act on it. Cost, lack of time and unsupportive work environments mean help is often delayed or avoided altogether. So, people push through. They adjust. They tell themselves it’s temporary, even when the signs say otherwise.

“Stress is not a personal weakness. It is a natural response to sustained pressure. If we genuinely want healthier professionals we can’t keep placing the responsibility solely on individuals to cope better. We need systems that step in earlier and support people before stress takes hold.”