Cigna Healthcare shares results of its Vitality Study 2023

The Cigna Healthcare Vitality Study 2023 shows that only one in five people has a high level of vitality, with mental health being the critical factor.

The survey included results from more than 10,800 respondents across 12 markets, who were asked 35 questions about their sense of social, occupational, financial, intellectual, physical, spiritual, emotional, and environmental wellbeing.

Stress and burnout are major contributors to the low number of those with high vitality. Those with low vitality suffer more stress (nine in 10) than those with high vitality (seven in 10). Although these levels have declined a little since the peak of the pandemic, they remain high, with eight in 10 people suffering. Burnout remains at endemic levels, with 94 per cent of respondents reporting at least one symptom over the past year.

The global cost of living crisis is a major driver of this, with nearly half of all survey respondents listing it as a key source of stress, closely followed by ‘uncertainty about the future’.

Jason Sadler, President of International Health at Cigna Healthcare, said: “Our latest research shows overall health is the sum of numerous factors. Many external stressors are severely affecting our mental wellbeing, leading to worrying rates of stress and burnout.

“With significant global challenges such as conflict, illness, and the cost of living crisis affecting the day-to-day lives of billions of people, we can no longer measure wellbeing using narrow health metrics such as diet, exercise, and disease alone.

“Meaningful wellbeing assessments must honestly consider the bigger picture: intellectual and emotional stimulation, cultural and social connections, financial and physical security, and of course health. Our Vitality Study does exactly that.”