One in four employed women says she in poor mental health "compared to 19% of men, a finding that worsens among those under 40, according to an Ipsos-BVA study for the Qualisocial firm published on March 2, 2026.
According to the barometer " Mental Health & QWL (Quality of life and working conditions, editor's note) 2026 by Qualisocial“More women report being in good mental health compared to the same study conducted in 2025 (74%, or +5 points),” but the gap with men persists“.
For those who declare themselves " in rather or quite poor mental health " this " fragility is concentrated among the youngest" , the barometer notes. Thus, they are " 29% in women under 40 years of age (compared to 22% in those aged 40 and over) to declare themselves in poor mental health", the investigation indicates.
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Lack of time for oneself
“ Women more often attribute the decline in their mental health to factors related to a lack of personal time (44% vs. 35% for men) and personal or family difficulties (32% vs. 28%), and less to the national political situation (25% vs. 32%).", details the survey by the firm specializing in workplace well-being." Mental workload and the 'time – personal life – work' equation " seem to be the crux of the problem, even though, on the other hand, they have a less positive view than men on certain aspects of working life ( labor relations" , " inclusion and professional equality" ).
The Ipsos-BVA survey – the first part of which was published in January – was conducted in mid-November via the internet, among 3,000 workers constituting a representative sample of employees in the private and public sectors, aged 18 and over.
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