New Research from the International Coaching Federation Highlights Trends in Workplace Burnout

New research, released by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), indicates growing workplace demand for mental well-being support. With mental well health concerns including burnout rising worldwide, the new study indicates that as many as 85% of coaching professionals working with clients on such issues hear growing calls for support to improve mental well-being.

The "2024 ICF Snapshot Survey: Coaching and Mental Well-Being" studied coaches from various regions, demographics, and specializations. The study explores the strategies coaches employ, the challenges they encounter, and their confidence levels in making a positive impact.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Career challenges are on the rise. Respondents indicated that 78% of clients cited career-related challenges as the top reason they sought coaching. By comparison, 60% cite personal life issues, making it safe to infer that while work-life balance remains important, career considerations are growing in significance.
• Organizations are responding to well-being needs. As many as 64% of coaches employed within companies and organizations indicated their entities are investing more in employee well-being compared to five years ago.
• Investments to support employee well-being are paying off. More than half (53%) of coaches said companies are seeing positive returns from well-being initiatives. However, 72% of internal coaches reported that even more training is needed to support the demand for mental well-being effectively.
• Certain techniques stand out for mental well-being impact. Techniques like mindfulness, visualization, and meditation are common, but self-reflection and personalized approaches are often more effective for client mental well-being. Coaches want more opportunities to share with their colleagues about what's working and what isn't.

The trends illuminated in the study put further focus on the growing demand for professionals qualified to deliver the requested support.

"As more and more people in the workplace seek to prioritize their mental well-being, coaching is a high-demand and proven method to address challenges," said ICF CEO Magdalena Nowicka Mook. "For coaches eager to meet this need and mitigate the burnout epidemic, ICF's coaching community, accredited training and credentialing, and resources can equip them to embody the gold standard of the profession." 

Looking forward, mental well-being is an area of coaching that 72% of coach practitioners indicate a desire to expand their capacity to offer. At the same time, coaches are enhancing their awareness of circumstances that require a different type of intervention based on the seriousness of the client's need. For example, almost half (44%) of coaches referred clients to medical professionals or therapists over the last year.