Mental wellbeing check for MENA Entrepreneurs: How Are You Really Doing?

As the world continues to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, the subject of mental health has gained paramount importance over the past year.

We've all battled to balance work and life when faced with emotionally and mentally draining situations. Every individual – from CxOs to stay-at-home parents to students, has had to face and overcome their own problems. The same has been the case for aspiring entrepreneurs who have been on the cutting edge of breaking down barriers and accelerating innovation to solve some of the pressing challenges in our society.

And therefore, keeping their mental health in check is crucial. That’s why the recent research on the impact of Covid-19 on the state of mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is so important. The report, launched by Wamda in collaboration with Microsoft for Startups, EMPWR and H.A.D Consultants, is the first of its research recorded on the mental health of entrepreneurs in the region.

The findings give us a clearer understanding on what entrepreneurs in MENA have had to deal with throughout the pandemic. The data collected from 101 startup founders revealed the majority 55% of the respondents stated that raising investment for their business had caused the most stress. The pandemic itself was the second most cited reason for entrepreneurial stress with 33.7% of all founders facing ongoing struggles among other key concerning factors.

As entrepreneurs begin to rebuild the foundations that may have been unsettled over the past 18+ months, the conversation around mental health becomes an increasingly important one to have. It was therefore encouraging to see that at least 40% of founders said they would like to access mental health support from the wider entrepreneurship ecosystem.

To this end, it is heartening to see that startups in our region are already collaborating to increase access to mental health support for fellow entrepreneurs. In the Healthtech sector for example, no less than six startups have joined forces to shift the cultural view on mental health in the region.

The research has taught us a valuable lesson on broaching the subject of mental health that is still, unfortunately, considered a taboo in many circles. Hopefully, these findings will provide the best solutions on the subject, as well as encourage initiatives to support our founders and the startup community of the region on their wellbeing.

I encourage more entrepreneurs to study the report and draw inspiration on how we can advance the mental health conversation in our region. By engaging in further dialogue, we can create a foundation for best practice that prioritizes the mental health of the startup community.