Mental health at work: what the 2025 data tells us

The figures published in 2025 and 2026 point to a clear conclusion: mental health has become one of the biggest performance issues for organisations, in Belgium and across Europe. Here are the key takeaways.

One in three European workers is under strain

The OSH Pulse 2025 survey by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work shows that 29% of EU workers report experiencing stress, depression or anxiety. The causes are very concrete: more than 40% face severe time pressure, around one in three feel their efforts go unrecognised, and nearly 30% point to poor communication or cooperation.

These three factors have something in common: they depend largely on how work is organised and on the quality of relationships within teams. In other words, on levers that companies can act on.

Europe, the least engaged region in the world

According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, published in 2026 on 2025 data, only 12% of European employees feel engaged at work, compared with 20% globally. That is the lowest level of any region surveyed.

The cost is considerable: Gallup estimates that low engagement accounts for around 9% of global GDP in lost productivity. The report also highlights a sharp drop in manager engagement, which directly affects their teams.

In Belgium, mental health tops long-term incapacity

At the end of 2025, more than 576,000 people in Belgium were on long-term disability. Among employees and jobseekers, mental and behavioural disorders account for nearly 39% of cases, or 209,245 people. They remain the leading cause of long-term incapacity.

Every long-term absence means lost skills, extra pressure on the colleagues who stay, and often a difficult return to work.

What these figures mean for organisations

The message is simple: mental health is no longer something to deal with only when a problem arises. It is a matter of performance, retention and employer appeal.

The organisations that do best act early, on three levels:

• People, by helping everyone understand how they react under stress.
• Managers, by giving them the tools to spot early warning signs and adapt their approach.
• Teams, by improving day-to-day communication and cooperation.

This is exactly what Enneagram Academy does: practical programmes grounded in clinical psychology, to prevent burnout and strengthen team cohesion.