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Mavie Stress Study 2026: Key findings for Austria

Katrin Ortbauer

Head of Brand

10 Sep 20265 min read

Article highlights

Stress is the norm in Austria, not the exception

67 percent of Austrians report being (very) frequently stressed, and almost 40 percent say it's getting worse.
Women and female executives report high stress significantly more often than men.
Among early-career employees with up to three years of tenure, almost three-quarters are affected.

The body pays the price while many keep working

Exhaustion, sleep problems, and psychological strain top this year's list of stress-related complaints.
83 percent go to work despite exhaustion, and a quarter feel a significant drop in performance as a result.
Rising stress is clearly linked to worse sleep: 29 percent report (very) poor sleep.

Talking about stress remains difficult

Only 14 percent seek professional support, down from 21 percent the previous year.
Three-quarters haven't discussed their mental health with anyone at work in the past year.
Employees trust their own manager barely more than an AI tool when it comes to psychological strain.

When leadership itself is under pressure

Part of the explanation lies with leadership itself. More than half of people in Austria experience their own manager as visibly stressed (very) often. And that doesn't stay without consequences for the team: for almost a third, it noticeably reduces their enjoyment of their own work. One in five ends up thinking about changing jobs more often as a result. This also has economic consequences: according to Gallup, "quiet quitting" costs around €9 trillion a year worldwide, roughly 9 percent of global economic output. We look in detail at how strongly stress among managers spreads through entire teams, and what companies can concretely do about it, in a separate article.

Mavie Stress Study 2026: Key findings for Austria

Article highlights

Work remains by far the biggest source of stress

When leadership itself is under pressure

Women are hit especially hard

The body notices first, but many keep working anyway

How stressed is Austria, really?

What companies can concretely do

Article highlights

Work remains by far the biggest source of stress

When leadership itself is under pressure

Women are hit especially hard

The body notices first, but many keep working anyway

How stressed is Austria, really?

What companies can concretely do

Sources

How many people in Austria feel stressed?

What's the biggest source of workplace stress?

Why do so many people keep working despite being exhausted?

Why do so few people talk about their mental health at work?

What are the most common ways people cope with stress?