STADA Health Report 2022: Corona Raised Levels of Stress but also Awareness of Importance of Healthy Lifestyles

For the ninth year in a row, the multinational corporation STADA is organizing a public opinion poll of the European population regarding health habits and attitudes towards health. This is the ninth in a row, and the fourth international research conducted by STADA, which included more than 30,000 respondents, aged between 18 and 99, in 15 countries, including Serbia. The research is carried out as a contribution to health education, better insight into the health habits and health needs of the wider population. A representative online study was conducted by the company InSites Consulting on behalf of STADA.

‘Through the STADA Health Report, we aim to provide scientifically verified data to stimulate debates around healthcare trends and needed actions to further support the invaluable work done every day by our trusted partners, be they physicians, hospitals, governments pharmacists, for patients’, says Peter Goldschmidt, CEO of STADA.

This year's research includes 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Key indicators of STADA Health Report 2022

The Covid 19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way of life, drastically shook the health sector, caused physical and mental health to deteriorate and consequently led to:

Satisfaction with healthcare systems continues to wane

Across Europe, the percentage of satisfaction with the services provided by national health systems has fallen significantly. The past two pandemic years have not only been hard on the European population, but especially on their healthcare systems. Hence, for the last three years, satisfaction with health care systems has been in constant decline, from 78% satisfied Europeans in 2020 and 74% in 2021, to only 64% satisfied Europeans in 2022.

Mental health on the decline

Stress levels are on the rise, quality of sleep is declining and one in six Europeans is feeling on the verge of burning out. As for their general mental well-being, one in three Europeans has reported a decline, with people in Austria 37%, Italy 35% and Portugal 35 % particularly afflicted.

The results of research in Serbia show that the level of stress among 40% of citizens has greatly increased since the onset of the pandemic, which is above the global average of 37%. Due to the fear of corona, 1/3 sleep worse, and 27% complain that their mental health has worsened and 21% that they are less happy in their private life than before.

Why don't Europeans sleep?

Everyday problems disturb sleep the most for Poles 47%, and for Spaniards 40%, but also for the citizens of Serbia 34%, who are additionally tormented by fears and bad thoughts 31%, which is above the global average of 26%.

Anxiety troubles Italians the most, and as many as 42% of them are awake at night due to fear and anxiety. 25% of Portuguese people do not sleep because of money worries. 21% of Britons are disturbed by urinary problems, while 18% of Germans are bothered by surrounding noise.

Burnout at work - an additional threat to mental health

Self-assessed burnout rate – in people who have either experienced such conditions or they think they are on the verge of burning out – is at all-time high level of 59% in Europe. Eastern Europeans feel particularly threatened, so 20% of Serbian citizens claim to have experienced burnout at work, while 21% feel that they are on the verge of experiencing this type of breakdown, which is above the global average of 15%.

Romanians feel even more threatened, 31% of them have already had such an experience, and in Poland, as many as 70% point out that they have experienced the feeling of burnout at least once in their life. Women are more at risk – women 65% often feel more at risk of burning out than men 53%.

Covid damaged the health of NonCovid patients

Due to the fear of Covid infection, during the Covid pandemic, 37% of Romanians, 36% of Czechs, the same number of Italians and 30% of Serbian citizens cancelled doctors’ appointments, which is significantly above the global average of 24%.

At the same time, scheduling an appointment with a general practitioner during the pandemic was reported in the research as ‘quite challenging’ in several countries, including Serbia.

Good news from the Health Report 2022

The percentage of Europeans striving to live healthy lifestyles is on the rise:

I eat healthier - 50% of Spaniards and 48% of Serbs claim, which is significantly above the global average of 40%. 30% of the British and 31% of the Belgians are less concerned about improving their diet

I increased the intake of food supplements, vitamins and minerals - Czechs are in first place 49%, Poles 45%, as well as 37% of Serbian citizens, which is significantly above the global average of 26%. The French 17% and the Spaniards 14% are not inclined to take more supplements.

I follow the doctor's advice with discipline - 40% of Portuguese and 30% of Spaniards claim, which is significantly above the global average of 25%. When it comes to citizens of Serbia, 23% boasted about this.

I care more about the quality of life and attend fitness classes - 18% of Poles and 17% of Italians claim, in contrast to only 4% of Serbian citizens who boasted about the mentioned activities.

Pharmacy of the future: combining the best

STADA Health Report 2022 indicates that Europeans have remained faithful to retail pharmacies, despite the growing competition of online sales. In Europe, 56% of users still visit the pharmacy several times a month, 27% of whom do it several times a week. Europeans wish to hear and appreciate pharmacist’s advice, so individual counselling is considered an integral and important service.

Right after the individual counselling, the survey highlighted as desirable a possibility of online ordering of medicines from the local pharmacy (33%). Thus, the Health Report results suggest that the main requirement in the near future could be that the pharmacies find a way to combine the above-mentioned requirements, which could be easily achieved with the amenities the digital age has on offer.

‘The fact that we care for people’s health as a trusted partner, requires from us to share the results of the survey and discuss these findings with pharmacists and all other stakeholders in the field of healthcare all around Europe, contributing in this manner to a better access of patients to high quality healthcare’, concluded Peter Goldschmidt, STADA CEO.

The leading media in Serbia, printed and electronic, reported on STADA Health Report 2022. Numerous useful and interesting research results that reflect the current health habits and health needs of the wider population in 15 surveyed countries, including Serbia, were presented in prime time on 8 TV and radio stations, in 12 print media and published on 47 portals.
The media in North Macedonia and Republika Srpska also reported on the STADA Health Report 2022.