72% Of Startup Founders Report An Impact On Their Mental Health

While it’s not discussed nearly enough, the cognitive, emotional and physical toll of launching and leading a startup is real. 

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According to Startup Snapshot’s April 2023 report — The Untold Toll: The Impact of Stress on the Well-Being of Startup Founders and CEOs — 72% of founders report an impact on their mental health. Many of these founders mask their stress, and it ends up costing them in the long run.

Aura Health aims to help startup founders and CEOs better manage their mental well-being. Aura is an all-in-one mental wellness app that provides content, community and coaching offered by the best coaches and therapists worldwide. In addition to venture capital (VC) backing from ​​Reach Capital, Berkeley SkyDeck, and Cowboy Ventures, Aura has 7 million users and currently raising from retail investors. 

Other Data From The Report

With so much uncertainty in the world, startup founders are faced with more challenges than ever. For that reason, 54% of those surveyed said that they’re stressed about the future of their company.

Of the 72% who reported an impact on their mental health, here are the most common conditions:

• High stress, 44%
• Anxiety, 37%
• Burnout, 36%
• Depression, 13%
• Panic attacks, 10%

In other words, stress is only part of the problem. Many founders suffer from additional mental issues that can impact their professional and personal lives.

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Are These Founders Seeking Help?

With platforms such as Aura providing on-demand assistance, it’s easier than ever for founders — among others — to obtain the proper care. But many entrepreneurs put their mental health on the back burner as they inch toward their goals.

The report notes that only 23% of founders seek help from a psychologist or coach. Even worse is that only 10% of these individuals turn to their investors to talk about their stress and other mental well-being concerns.

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There’s Help To Be Had

In addition to seeking assistance from a coach or therapist, there are other steps founders can take to reduce their stress load and perform at a higher level.

“Just a 20-minute walk in nature is enough to reset our stress to baseline, and exercise enhances cognition, emotion regulation and promotes sleep and healthy adaptation,” said Alex Auerbach, performance psychologist and chief health and onnovation officer at Pioneer Mind. “Regular exercise is a cornerstone of a regimen of excellence, and founders can take advantage of this to both relieve stress and elevate performance.”

Some startup founders realize it, while others don’t. But either way, this group of professionals needs to seek mental health treatment as they grow their companies. 

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