On October 10, 1992, World Mental Health Day was introduced by the World Federation for Mental Health. The day was established to raise awareness about mental health issues globally and to highlight the importance of mental health to overall well-being.
In the United States, during an election cycle and a year of natural disasters, stress levels across the country are high. And a new study has uncovered which states are feeling it the most, with a ranking of the most burnt-out, to the least.
Burnt Out and Stressed States
The study, conducted by the AI productivity platform Plus Docs, looked at keywords and phrases related to burnout in both personal and professional lives on Google. A total of 275 search terms were then analyzed, including ‘therapy,’ ‘work burnout,’ and ‘stress,’ and a ranking was produced based on the total average monthly search volumes per 100,000 residents for all terms, by state.
- Maryland leads the nation with the most exhausted residents, followed by New Yorkers and Nevada residents.
- Conversely, Montana emerges as the most relaxed state, with only 207 searches per 100,000 people- 38% below the national average.
Top 10 Most Burnt-Out States
On the other end of the study, residents in Montana are the least burnt-out according to their Google searches. Here, residents search for key terms at a rate of 207 per 100,000 residents – a 38% decrease from the national average. ‘Anxiety’ has just 66 searches per 100,000 residents – over a third (31%) less than the national average.
Top 10 Least Burnt-Out States
Commenting on the findings, Daniel Li, CEO and cofounder of Plus Docs, said, “The study underscores the growing need to address burnout as a public health issue, particularly in our post-pandemic world. The high search volumes for terms like ‘anxiety’ highlight how deeply burnout is affecting individuals.
“Burnout is driven by a variety of factors – regional (and wider) economic conditions, work culture, and access to mental health resources all play a part. With over 290,000 searches for ‘therapy’ each month, it’s clear that more investment in mental health services could significantly help those struggling.
“Workplace burnout is especially concerning, with over 5,000 monthly searches for ‘workplace burnout’ alone, showing that a substantial part of the workforce is either nearing or already experiencing severe stress and exhaustion. Tackling the issue is essential for the well-being of American workers and will benefit the long-term success of businesses by creating a workforce well equipped mentally.”
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