More than six in 10 women struggle to talk openly about their mental health, while 72% regret hiding how they really felt, according to new multinational research.
Eight in 10 women say they have told others “I’m fine” when they were not, while nearly three-quarters regret hiding how they truly felt, according to new research highlighting the silence that still surrounds women’s mental health. The findings also have clear implications for employers, particularly where women feel pressure to conceal how they are coping at work. As Fair Play Talks highlighted for World Mental Health Day 2026, creating psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel able to speak openly and access support remains a significant challenge.
The findings come from a Lancôme study conducted with Ipsos across multiple countries in 2025 and 2026 as part of the beauty brand’s new “I’m Fine” mental health initiative, developed with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and, in the US, HealthyWomen. The study found:
- 80% of women surveyed have said “I’m fine” when they were not – up four percentage points since 2025.
- 72% regret having hidden how they really felt.
- More than 60% find it difficult to talk openly about their mental wellbeing.
- 54% find fertility difficult to discuss.
- 48% say the same about menopause.
- 52% avoid speaking up because they do not want to burden others.
- 38% believe they should cope alone.
- 31% do not want to appear vulnerable.
- 29% feel pressure to project a positive image.
- 29% fear they will not be understood or supported.
The findings suggest that, despite greater awareness of mental health, many women still feel pressure to keep struggling privately rather than ask for help.
STRUGGLING IN SILENCE
“As a nurse, mom, and CEO, I’ve seen time and time again that when women say, ‘I’m fine,’ they’re often struggling in silence. Mental health is connected to every stage of a woman’s health journey, from pregnancy and menopause to cancer and chronic illness,” shared Beth Battaglino, RN-C, CEO of HealthyWomen. “We commend Lancôme for bringing these conversations into the open and are proud to help more women take that first step toward checking in on their mental well-being.”
Her comments highlight an important part of the issue: women’s mental health does not exist separately from the wider pressures and health changes they may experience throughout their lives. The Lancôme initiative points to sociocultural pressures including the mental load and unequal domestic responsibilities, alongside physiological changes associated with the postpartum period, perimenopause and menopause, as factors that can affect women’s mental wellbeing.
Recent research has similarly highlighted the workplace consequences when women do not feel able to discuss health issues openly. Earlier this month, Fair Play Talks reported that one in three women experiencing menopause symptoms were considering leaving their jobs or reducing their hours, while only 6% had disclosed menopause to HR. That gap between feeling able to talk in theory and actually speaking up mirrors the wider findings around mental health.
WHY ARE WOMEN SAYING ‘I’M FINE’?
The most common explanation was not wanting to burden other people, cited by 52%. But the barriers go further. More than a third, 38%, said they felt they should cope alone. Almost a third, 31%, did not want to appear vulnerable. And 29% felt pressure to maintain a positive image.
Those responses point to a combination of social expectations and internalised pressure. Women may be expected to care for others, manage work and family responsibilities and remain outwardly capable even when they are struggling themselves. That creates a risk that distress remains invisible until it becomes much harder to manage.
WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH IS ALSO A WORKPLACE ISSUE
The research is not specifically a workplace study, but its findings have clear implications for employers. Many of the women answering “I’m fine” will be doing so at work. That matters because recent Fair Play Talks coverage for World Mental Health Day 2026 found mounting workplace mental-health pressures. In the UK, 88% of employers said they were expected to do more than ever to support poor mental health, yet only 37% had a comprehensive approach in place.
Separate research found that 62% of employees felt unable to discuss their mental health at work. The parallels are striking. If employees believe they need to appear capable, positive and self-sufficient, asking “How are you?” may not be enough. The bigger question is whether the workplace feels safe enough for someone to answer honestly.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OFTEN INTERSECT
Battaglino also highlights the relationship between mental wellbeing and major health events including pregnancy, menopause, cancer and chronic illness. That connection is particularly important in the workplace.
Fair Play Talks recently reported that cancer is costing UK employers an estimated £3.7 billion a year, as more than one million working-age people live with or beyond a diagnosis. Serious or long-term illness can bring anxiety around treatment, finances, work, identity, progression and caring responsibilities.
For employers, that means mental-health support cannot be treated as a standalone wellbeing initiative disconnected from wider health policies, flexible working, reasonable adjustments or manager capability.
ACTION BEFORE BREAKING POINT A MUST
“Beauty is not only about how we look: it is deeply linked to how we feel, how we connect, and how we lift each other up. In a world that often tries to silence women, we must act,” Vania Lacascade, Lancôme Global President. “With about one in three women experiencing anxiety and depression in their lifetime, this is not a distant problem: it is affecting our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends. Yet these issues remain hidden and under-addressed.
At Lancôme, we feel a profound responsibility to bring this conversation into the light. We must act before women reach a breaking point by supporting them to check in on themselves and recognise the early signs of anxiety and depression.”
The campaign cites approximately one in three women experiencing an anxiety or depressive disorder during their lifetime, underlining the scale of the issue.
PREVENTION AND EARLY SUPPORT
The “I’m Fine” programme focuses specifically on anxiety and depression and has two main elements: awareness and early identification. Women using the dedicated platform can access two established self-assessment questionnaires:
- GAD-7, which screens for symptoms associated with anxiety.
- PHQ-8, which screens for symptoms associated with depression.
The programme also provides articles and testimonials intended to help women reflect on their mental health and connect with additional resources. “Today, approximately one in three women will experience an anxiety or depressive disorder in their lifetime. This is a global public health issue we can no longer afford to ignore,” stated Dr Helen Blair Simpson, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Director of the Center for OCD and Related Disorders and ADAA Ambassador for Women’s Mental Health.
“This partnership is a collective commitment to dismantle the barriers of stigma and delayed care, and to empower women around the globe. Prevention is power. Early detection is critical. These tools empower women to understand what they are feeling, take action early, and prevent challenges from becoming overwhelming crises,” added Dr Simpson.
The self-assessments can help people recognise possible symptoms, but they are screening tools rather than diagnoses. People concerned about their mental health should seek appropriate professional support rather than relying on a self-assessment alone.
WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO
The findings raise an obvious workplace question: do employees feel safe enough to say they are not fine? Employers can take practical steps to make that more likely.
1. Create a psychological safety
Employees need to feel they can acknowledge that they are struggling without being judged as less capable, committed or promotable. That depends as much on culture and leadership behaviour as it does on formal policies.
2. Train managers to respond, not diagnose
Managers should be equipped to recognise when someone may need support and know how to respond appropriately. They should not be expected to diagnose a mental-health condition. Their role is to listen, signpost support, discuss workplace changes where appropriate and escalate serious concerns through the correct channels.
3. Make support easy to find
Employee Assistance Programmes, occupational health, counselling, mental-health benefits and other services are of little value if employees do not know they exist or feel uncomfortable using them. Organisations should communicate support regularly rather than waiting for awareness days.
4. Recognise Women’s Health across life stages
Mental health can intersect with pregnancy, fertility, menopause, cancer, chronic illness and caring responsibilities. Workplace wellbeing strategies should therefore connect mental health with broader health, flexibility and inclusion policies. The importance women attach to meaningful support is already clear. Fair Play Talks reported earlier this year that 91% of women surveyed believed comprehensive mental-health support should be a standard workplace benefit.
5. Address the causes, not just the symptoms
Wellbeing resources cannot compensate indefinitely for excessive workloads, poor management, discrimination or unhealthy workplace cultures. Employers should examine whether job design, workloads, flexibility and leadership practices are themselves contributing to distress.
6. Make it safe to be vulnerable
If 31% of women avoid talking about their mental health because they do not want to appear vulnerable, employers need to consider what signals their culture sends about vulnerability. Leaders who model healthy boundaries and acknowledge their own challenges can help normalise conversations, provided employees are never pressured to disclose personal information.
WHAT WOMEN CAN DO
Women should not carry responsibility for fixing systems that make it difficult to speak honestly about mental health. But recognising early warning signs and knowing where support is available can help. Women experiencing difficulties may want to:
- pause and check in with how they are genuinely feeling rather than automatically saying “I’m fine”;
- speak to someone they trust;
- find out what workplace support is available;
- seek professional advice if symptoms persist, worsen or interfere with everyday life;
- discuss temporary flexibility or adjustments at work if needed;
- establish boundaries where workload or caring pressures are affecting wellbeing; and
- remember that asking for support does not require sharing every detail of a personal health issue.
The key is not that women need to become better at coping with unreasonable pressure. It is that they should have safe, credible routes to support when they need them.
BREAKING THE ‘I’M FINE’ HABIT
The most important message from the findings may be less about two particular words and more about what sits behind them. Women may say “I’m fine” because they do not want to burden people, or they think they should cope, and because they worry vulnerability will change how others see them. Or perhaps because they do not believe anyone will understand.
Those pressures can exist at home, in relationships, in communities and at work. The challenge is therefore not simply encouraging women to talk more. It is creating environments in which speaking honestly feels safe, worthwhile and likely to lead to meaningful support.
For employers, that means going beyond awareness campaigns. And for wider society, it means questioning why so many women still feel they need to appear fine when they are anything but.
RELATED ARTICLES
New research shows caregiver burnout among sandwich generation working women is driving higher healthcare costs, rising depression rates and growing workforce retention risks.
New research to suggests women increasingly want employers to move beyond symbolic gestures and demonstrate real support through workplace policies, benefits and leadership opportunities.
From rising anxiety and burnout to gaps in employee support, research across the globe exposes mounting workplace mental health pressures – and why experts say employers must move beyond awareness to meaningful action.
A recent study has revealed that three in four employees have worked while physically or mentally unable to perform their duties due to ill health.
Between January and August 2025, more than 455,000 women left the US workforce, citing unaffordable childcare, inflexible work arrangements and structural inequality, new research finds.
New research reveals one in three symptomatic women are considering leaving their job or cutting their hours, while just 6% have disclosed menopause to HR.
