Mental health, finances weigh on business owners - survey

Business owners reported greater concerns around mental health during Alert Level 4 lockdown than the general population. Photo / 123RF

The latest lockdown is having a disproportionately higher impact on the mental health of business owners compared with non-business owners, according to a new survey.

Perceptive's latest Covid-19 Tracker Survey has revealed 33 per cent of business owners and key decision makers reported concerns around mental health compared with 17 per cent among the general population.

Business owners and key decision makers were also more worried about the impact of the lockdown on their family's finances (37 per cent) compared with the rest of New Zealanders (20 per cent).

More than half of respondents (64 per cent) felt the virus would negatively affect local business.

Daniel Shaw, Perceptive's managing director, said the survey aims to gauge the attitudes and perceptions of New Zealanders through a business and consumer lens.

"What we are seeing is the impact another lockdown is having on business owners, not just economically but also on their health and wellness," Shaw said.

However, overall concerns have dropped across most areas compared with a similar Perceptive survey in March last year as Kiwis become more accustomed to handling lockdowns.

One-third (36 per cent) of New Zealanders said they were highly concerned about Covid-19, compared with 52 per cent in March last year, this despite the country facing a much more contagious variant in the Delta strain.

Those worried about the negative impact of Covid-19 on the New Zealand economy also fell from 79 per cent in March 2020 to 54 per cent this time.

The impact on local businesses, the global economy, health and wellbeing of Kiwis, the New Zealand healthcare system and family finances were all thought to be less.

"As we find ourselves in another lockdown, what's really interesting is how our attitudes towards Covid have changed from 2020. The overall concern towards Covid-19 including the economic, health and wealthiness impacts have dropped significantly," Shaw said.

The survey also revealed what Kiwis thought about how the Government was handling the pandemic, with business owners more likely to have a negative view.

Asked whether the government is doing enough in response to Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, 60 per cent of respondents said the government was doing as much as they can compared to 75 per cent during alert level 4 in March last year.

However, this number fell to just over half (54 per cent) among business owners, compared with 61 per cent of non-business owners.

Among business owners, 15 per cent said the Government wasn't doing enough to tackle Covid-19, compared with non-business owners (12 per cent). Overall, 13 per cent of those surveyed felt this way, up from just 4 per cent at the beginning of the pandemic.

More than 1000 Kiwis were surveyed between August 27 and 30. New data from Perceptive's Covid-19 Tracker Survey will be collected each week.

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
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• Anxiety helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY) (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155

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