MR Industry Bodies Launch Mental Wellbeing Study

The UK's MRS, the Insights Association in the US and The Research Society in Australia have teamed up to launch a global mental wellbeing study, which they say will assess the impact of the pandemic and inform support for the research sector.

Supported by insight agency Opinium, the study will examine the impact of the coronavirus crisis across three countries, highlight how workplaces can support people employed in market research, and shape guidance on improving mental health wellbeing support. It will also build on work conducted by MRS and Opinium last summer - Opening the Conversation: Mental Wellbeing in Market Research - which claimed that 85% of research practitioners had struggled with their mental wellbeing the previous year.

Melanie Courtright, CEO of the Insights Association, says many people remain uncomfortable talking openly about mental health, especially in the workplace; and now many experts believe this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The Research Society CEO Elissa Molloy says gaining an understanding of how the crisis has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of the sector will inform how it moves forward, while assisting in breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues. MRS CEO Jane Frost, concludes: 'Understanding the impact of coronavirus will help us to support companies and professionals as they work to rebuild after the crisis, address the vital issue of mental wellbeing and develop practical programmes to improve matters where necessary'.

MRS says that the more people who take part, the more comprehensive the analysis and recommendations will be, so market and social research sector execs in the UK are encouraged to take part in the survey before 11th June. The research is being conducted in accordance with the MRS Code of Conduct 2018 and the UK Data Protection Act 2018, and a summary of the results will be published on the MRS web site.