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PRCA MENA: PR Professionals Report Rising Stress As Workplace Support Falls
(MENAFN- PRovoke)
DUBAI - More than half of PR and communications professionals in the Middle East and North Africa experience stress, anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed often or all the time, according to new research from PRCA MENA.
The association's latest MENA Mental Health Report, launched at the PRCA MENA Conference in Dubai last week, points to a widening gap between awareness of mental health and employees' experience of practical workplace support.
The study found that 55% of respondents experience stress, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed often or all the time, while 41% experience burnout often or very often.
Although 76% of professionals now consider themselves well-informed about mental health, compared to 66% in 2024, the proportion who feel completely or moderately supported by their organisation has fallen from 71% to 58% over the same period.
The research also highlights the toll of an always-on profession. Some 93% of respondents said they found it difficult to switch off from news and current events because of their role, while 63% believe recent global and regional events have increased stress within the industry.
Conrad Egbert, head of PRCA MENA, said:“We've become much better at talking about mental health, but we haven't been as good at changing the conditions affecting it. The industry doesn't have an awareness problem anymore; it has an action problem.
“If people understand burnout but still feel unable to switch off, manage their workload or take time to recover, then another wellbeing campaign isn't the answer. This now comes down to how we lead, how we manage people and, fundamentally, how we design work.”
Respondents called for tangible change from employers, with 46% identifying improvements to the working environment as a priority; 41% calling for better workload management to prevent burnout; and 37% seeking access to mental health professionals.
John Rynehart, chair of the PRCA MENA Mental Health Committee and managing director, Middle East at Kekst CNC, said the findings should move the industry beyond awareness-raising.
“We know what drives stress, burnout and poor wellbeing,” he said.“The challenge now is whether organisations are willing to make the changes required to address them. Our collective goal should not simply be to help people cope with unhealthy ways of working. It should be to create healthier ways of working in the first place.”
The report was launched as part of the PRCA MENA Conference + Next Gen Summit, held in Dubai on 17 September under the theme“Reset the Mindset”. The event brought together around 150 communications leaders, practitioners, journalists and emerging talent.
Opening the conference, Taif Al Amiri, director of the government communication department at the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and a PRCA MENA advisory board member, said communications should be measured by more than reach, coverage and visibility.
“Rewriting the narrative must begin with understanding the audience,” she said.“A narrative does not change simply because we communicate more. It changes when we communicate differently, when we understand what people care about, what they do not yet understand, and what will make the story meaningful to them.”
Across the day, speakers explored changes in power and influence, corporate reputation, agency profitability, client relationships, creative risk and AI's implications for originality, trust and communications leadership. The Next Gen Summit placed emerging practitioners alongside established industry leaders in conversations about the future of the profession.
The association's latest MENA Mental Health Report, launched at the PRCA MENA Conference in Dubai last week, points to a widening gap between awareness of mental health and employees' experience of practical workplace support.
The study found that 55% of respondents experience stress, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed often or all the time, while 41% experience burnout often or very often.
Although 76% of professionals now consider themselves well-informed about mental health, compared to 66% in 2024, the proportion who feel completely or moderately supported by their organisation has fallen from 71% to 58% over the same period.
The research also highlights the toll of an always-on profession. Some 93% of respondents said they found it difficult to switch off from news and current events because of their role, while 63% believe recent global and regional events have increased stress within the industry.
Conrad Egbert, head of PRCA MENA, said:“We've become much better at talking about mental health, but we haven't been as good at changing the conditions affecting it. The industry doesn't have an awareness problem anymore; it has an action problem.
“If people understand burnout but still feel unable to switch off, manage their workload or take time to recover, then another wellbeing campaign isn't the answer. This now comes down to how we lead, how we manage people and, fundamentally, how we design work.”
Respondents called for tangible change from employers, with 46% identifying improvements to the working environment as a priority; 41% calling for better workload management to prevent burnout; and 37% seeking access to mental health professionals.
John Rynehart, chair of the PRCA MENA Mental Health Committee and managing director, Middle East at Kekst CNC, said the findings should move the industry beyond awareness-raising.
“We know what drives stress, burnout and poor wellbeing,” he said.“The challenge now is whether organisations are willing to make the changes required to address them. Our collective goal should not simply be to help people cope with unhealthy ways of working. It should be to create healthier ways of working in the first place.”
The report was launched as part of the PRCA MENA Conference + Next Gen Summit, held in Dubai on 17 September under the theme“Reset the Mindset”. The event brought together around 150 communications leaders, practitioners, journalists and emerging talent.
Opening the conference, Taif Al Amiri, director of the government communication department at the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and a PRCA MENA advisory board member, said communications should be measured by more than reach, coverage and visibility.
“Rewriting the narrative must begin with understanding the audience,” she said.“A narrative does not change simply because we communicate more. It changes when we communicate differently, when we understand what people care about, what they do not yet understand, and what will make the story meaningful to them.”
Across the day, speakers explored changes in power and influence, corporate reputation, agency profitability, client relationships, creative risk and AI's implications for originality, trust and communications leadership. The Next Gen Summit placed emerging practitioners alongside established industry leaders in conversations about the future of the profession.
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