Mental health at work : well-being improves in 2026, but prejudices are hardening

Each year, the Grande Enquête led by Ifop for Moka.Care, BCG and GHU Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences takes the temperature of workplace mental health in France. The 2026 edition, conducted between January 9 and 20 with 2,000 employees, paints a double-edged picture: well-being indicators are rising, but some prejudices once thought to be receding are coming back to the fore. Analysis of an improvement that remains fragile and of what it changes for employees and employers.

A well-being score back above the threshold

The average mental well-being score, measured using the WHO-5 of the World Health Organization scale, gains three points in one year: it rises from 59.8% in January 2025 to 62.8% in January 2026. Concretely, 74% of employees now report a “good” level of mental well-being, four points higher than a year earlier. Finer indicators point in the same direction: work-related sleep disorders fall from 55% to 48%, and irritability also loses six points to stand at 36%.

Is it time to declare victory? The authors urge caution. About one in four employees remains in a situation of psychological distress and nearly seven in ten say they have experienced at least one work-related psychological disorder in the past five years. Chronic fatigue still affects 41% of respondents, and 24% report an episode of burnout over the same period, more than four in ten of which led to sick leave of more than one month.

Women and young people on the front line

The improvement masks marked inequalities. Women display a well-being score of 60, compared with 66 for men. Seven out of ten female employees (73%) report having already felt a work-related mental health disorder, versus 62% of men. More than one woman in two (57%) also says she has faced a negative professional situation, a gap that echoes longstanding alerts about exposure to violence, sexist behavior or mental load.

Those under 35 remain the most vulnerable age group: 76% report work-related disorders. Among 18-24-year-olds, 46% mention a state of chronic stress, compared with 28% among their elders. Another paradox: these young employees are those who use support measures the most, with more than seven in ten saying they have used at least one psychological support resource offered by their company.

The quiet return of taboos

This may be the most counter-intuitive point of the 2026 edition: after several years of relative liberation of speech, prejudices about mental disorders are hardening. The share of employees who believe that psychological disorders are “a sign of weakness” climbs ten points, to 32%. Those who associate therapeutic follow-up with a “personal failure” also increase by twelve points, to 29%. Finally, 54% of employees consider that mental health “should remain private” — a view up five points.

As a result, only 43% of employees diagnosed with a mental disorder inform their employer, while 85% nonetheless expect their company to take protective measures. This gap between expectation and disclosure is one of the main points of concern identified by the study’s partners.

What employers do (and don’t do)

On the management side, effort is progressing: 73% of employees indicate that their company has implemented prevention or support measures, up three points. Managers trained to detect burnout, listening services, psychological support platforms, reintegration protocols after long absences: measures are multiplying. The study nevertheless highlights that frontline management remains the number-one lever for reducing psychosocial risks, far ahead of tools.

• What works: return-to-work pathways after an absence, training managers to detect early warning signs, regular check-ins outside of evaluations.
• What stalls: fear of stigmatization, which leads to hiding symptoms, and the difficulty of truly measuring the impact of deployed measures.
• What is forgotten: the burden on middle management, often on the front line of support while being exposed themselves.

Remote work and AI: two transformations to watch

Two underlying trends continue to weigh on mental health in the workplace. Remote work, first, is experienced as a balancing factor by 80% of employees who do it, but 40% mention a growing sense of isolation. The rise of generative artificial intelligence, second, divides opinion: 66% of employees appreciate the time savings it offers, while 36% express a fear for the longevity of their position. Two signals that should find their place in upcoming updates to the single risk assessment document (DUER).

For further reading on editorial practices and recommendations surrounding well-being at the office, also consult our Companies and startups section, or our analyses on everyday life. For broader societal trends, head to the Sites and trends category.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main findings of the 2026 study on mental health at work?

The mental well-being score of French employees rises to 62.8% (versus 59.8% a year earlier), sleep disorders and irritability are receding, but one in four employees remains in psychological distress and prejudices against mental disorders are on the rise.

Why are young employees more exposed?

Those under 35 combine job instability, greater exposure to social comparisons and the workload of early career years. 76% of them report having experienced a work-related disorder, and 46% of 18-24-year-olds mention chronic stress — twice as much as their elders.

What can a company concretely do to act?

The study identifies frontline management as the primary lever for reducing psychosocial risks. Training managers to spot early warning signs, structuring returns after long-term absences, and offering support resources accessible without stigmatization are among the most effective measures.

Sources

• Moka.Care — Grande Enquête 2026 sur la santé mentale au travail
• Éditions Tissot — Enquête 2026 santé mentale au travail : des progrès à nuancer
• My Happy Job — Santé mentale au travail, une amélioration fragile en 2026