Work Has Both Positive and Negative Impacts On Mental Health

While significant literature exists around the financial impacts of work, how work affects mental health is less studied, particularly among older workers.

Older workers recognize positive impacts to mental health from working

About half of workers age 50-plus (48%) say their job positively impacts their mental health, largely unchanged from Wave 1 fielded in 2025 (49%).  At the same time, 31% report no impact to mental health from work and 21% say it impacts them negatively (25% and 26% respectively in Wave 1).

Most older workers continue to report satisfaction with workplace mental health supports, although satisfaction has softened slightly. In the current wave, 65% report being satisfied with the mental health insurance offered by their job, down slightly from 68% in Wave 1. Wave 2 shows that 60% are satisfied with other workplace offerings that support mental health, separate from their insurance coverage (64% in Wave 1).

Older workers also consistently report strong work‑life balance and social benefits from work. In both waves, 81% say they currently have a good work‑life balance. Social connection through work shows a very slight strengthening over time, with 79% saying their job helps keep them socially connected (up from 76% in Wave 1), while the share saying they can make friends through their job remained steady at 76% across both waves.

Yet, they express negative mental health impacts too

It is clear that work and mental health have a bidirectional relationship. Wave 2’s exploration of the negative mental health impacts from work shows that while fewer older workers report recent negative effects than they did in the first wave, they are not insignificant: 34% report at least one negative mental health impact, compared to 47% in Wave 1. 

Specifically, fewer older workers in Wave 2 report feeling burned out because of their job, with the share declining from 33% in Wave 1 to 24% in Wave 2. Reports of feeling so overwhelmed that it was difficult to perform one’s job also fell from 18% to 13%, while reports of job productivity suffering due to mental health declined from 13% to 8%. Considering quitting because of a job’s impact on mental health dropped from 14% to 11%, and actually quitting remained rare — 3% in Wave 1 and 1% in Wave 2.

Paid leave available for use related to mental health but not widely used

Two-thirds of older workers have access to paid leave in Wave 2 (63% in Wave 1), and most of those say it can be used for mental health-related needs.  Just over 4 in 5 (81% Wave 2; 79% in Wave 1) report they could use sick leave for mental health appointments, and 66% say it could be used for stress-related breaks or mental health days (63% in Wave 1).

Despite this availability, actual use remains limited and has declined. In Wave 2, 24% of older workers with paid sick leave say they had used it for mental health reasons (31% in Wave 1), suggesting that stigma, workplace culture, or other barriers may continue to discourage use.

Employers have a role in fostering positive work environments

Just over half of older workers say their company prioritizes their mental health. This remained stable across waves, with 52% agreeing each time. In Wave 2, 63% say their company provides resources to address employee mental health (66% in Wave 1). Perceptions of managerial support remain strong: 67% in Wave 2 say their manager cares about their mental health, nearly unchanged from Wave 1.

Concerns about stigma and career consequences persist but show signs of improvement. In Wave 2, 42% of older workers worry that talking about mental health at work could negatively impact their career, and 44% worry they would be judged by colleagues for sharing mental health struggles. These percentages are down from the same items in Wave 1 (48% and 52%, respectively).  Similarly, the share who feel they would be judged more harshly than younger coworkers for discussing mental health declined from 42% to 35%.

At the same time, perceptions of generational differences remain. Half say younger colleagues seemed more comfortable talking openly about mental health at work (55% in Wave 1), indicating that age-related norms around mental health disclosure are continuing to shape workplace experiences.

Overall, older workers have mixed experiences with work

Taken together, findings from both waves show that while many older workers continue to experience meaningful mental health benefits from working, a substantial share still face stress, burnout, and concerns about stigma in the workplace. The decline in reported negative mental health experiences in Wave 2 suggests some improvement, yet persistent underuse of available mental health supports highlights ongoing cultural and structural barriers. These results underscore the important role employers play in fostering supportive, age-inclusive work environments where mental health resources are not only available but genuinely safe and use is encouraged.

Methodology

Interviews were conducted in two waves among adults age 50-plus in the Foresight 50+ Omnibus, funded and operated by NORC at the University of Chicago. Wave 1 interviews were conducted November 14 to 18, 2024, and December 12 to 16, 2024, and included 868 workers age 50 and older. Wave 2 interviews were conducted January 15 to 20, 2026, and February 12 to 16, 2026, and included 834 workers age 50 and older. All data are weighted by age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and AARP membership to be nationally representative of the U.S. population age 50-plus.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Perron at rperron@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.