New research shows how business travel affects mental health

Leading global travel risk management organisation, World Travel Protection, has released results from a new survey it commissioned revealing how business travel impacts the mental health of UK business travellers. 
 
The Opinium survey of 500 UK business travellers finds that nearly two thirds (66%) believe in-person meetings are critical for building positive, long-term relationships and almost half (47%) say the opportunity for business travel makes them more likely to stay at an organisation. However, nearly half (46%) say that frequent travel adds to their stress and burnout, and gets worse for those who travel at least once every two months (53%). 
 
The survey finds that a fifth (21%) have felt stressed, exhausted (20%), been homesick (19%), felt anxious (18%) and lonely (13%).  Younger travellers (18-34) are notably more likely to feel lonely (21%). 
 
When it comes to supporting business travellers, two fifths (40%) say their organisation does not take their well-being seriously when travelling for business, and almost half (45%) would like their employer to check in on them more when they are travelling. However, the majority (61%) say their organisation would be supportive if they were struggling with their mental health on a business trip. 
 
Dr Neil Slabbert, Regional Chief Medical Officer (Asia-Pacific) at World Travel Protection comments: “While business travel is generally an enjoyable and rewarding part of work life, this survey reveals that some travellers face challenges when away from home, and more could be done to support them. Disruptions to routines, physical distance from support systems like family and friends, as well as jet lag and time zone differences can worsen stress and anxiety. Organisations need to factor in both physical safety and mental health when considering the support they provide to travelling employees. This encourages employee well-being and maximises the benefits of business travel for both staff and the company.  Some employers are allowing bleisure (business combined with leisure) travel to help mitigate some of the above.”
 
He continues: “Having peace of mind about your safety when abroad can play a big part in how confident you feel when you’re working. Travel risk management companies, like World Travel Protection, support corporate travellers by providing pre-trip medical and security intelligence as well as on-the-ground assistance to monitor for potential dangers or risk. Business travellers also have the 24/7 global support of highly qualified medical and security professionals if needed.”