As a barrier, stigma varies too and is often rooted in social and cultural attitudes. The research finds it is a greater barrier in countries such as the UK, South Korea and Hong Kong than in Switzerland, Turkey and Thailand.
London: New research from AXA Global Healthcare’s 2026 Mind Health Report, ‘Reaching the right support’, finds that a third (33%) of people with a mental health concern who have not seen a professional say the cost of medical consultations and treatment has stopped them seeking help, while 15% cite fear of being stigmatised or judged negatively. But how much each barrier holds people back changes from one country to the next.
The cost of medical consultations and treatment is a bigger barrier in some countries than others. Half (50%) of respondents in Mexico and 49% in the Philippines say it stops them seeking help, compared with just 15% in Germany and 17% in Turkey.
The research links these differences to how mental health care is funded. Where people pay for consultations and treatment directly, seeking support carries a greater financial burden than where care is publicly funded or covered by compulsory health insurance.
As a barrier, stigma varies too and is often rooted in social and cultural attitudes. The research finds it is a greater barrier in countries such as the UK, South Korea and Hong Kong than in Switzerland, Turkey and Thailand.
Stigma is widely recognised as a reason people delay seeking help, and the research links it partly to how well people’s conditions are managed. In the UK, where a quarter (25%) cite stigma, just over a third (36%) of those with a condition say it is well managed. In Thailand, where 13% cite stigma as a barrier, that rises to over half (52%).
Those barriers also shape where people turn for support. The data points to a pattern: where cost is a bigger barrier, use of AI tends to be higher. In the Philippines, for example, seven in ten (71%) use AI tools for their mental health. People held back by stigma are also more likely to use AI, with 60% using it to search for information on managing their mental health, compared with 52% of those who are not.
“As a physician, I do not see AI as a replacement for therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists. I see it as a potential gateway to care. For many, it may provide a first, accessible step towards seeking help. But its future in mental health should be measured by whether it helps people access appropriate care earlier, identifies risk sooner and improves outcomes safely,” says Dr Anne Lepetit, Chief Medical Officer, AXA Health Business.
Non-natives (people living or working outside their country of birth) can face added challenges when seeking professional mental health care, from language barriers and distance from loved ones to unfamiliar healthcare systems.
Knowing where to turn can be harder, and for many, AI is already part of that search. The research finds two in five (40%) use it to find suitable healthcare professionals or facilities, and they are more likely than natives to use it to search for information on managing their mental health (52% vs 47%). The cost of consultations and treatment is also their primary barrier to professional support (36%), which may point to the added complexity of navigating healthcare systems, eligibility and insurance in another country.
Whether their employees work at home or abroad, employers have an opportunity to reduce both barriers. A culture of trust and openness, where people can talk about their mental health without fear of judgement or consequences for their career, helps tackle stigma.
But culture only goes so far if the right support is not there when someone reaches out. Solutions that offer confidential routes to help and ease the cost of consultations and treatment mean support is in place when employees are ready to seek it.
“This year’s Mind Health Report reinforces the importance of making professional mental health support easier to reach. Eight in ten employees say they would join mental health support programmes at work, yet two thirds say they’re not available or are unaware of them. Bridging this gap is an essential part of improving access to support, and one where organisations are uniquely placed to make a difference,” said Alain Zweibrucker, CEO , AXA Health Business and AXA Health International.
“At AXA, we help organisations create workplaces where mental health can be discussed openly, people can recognise when they may need support, and the care they need is easier to find and even easier to access. From mental health awareness training and self-check tools to dedicated services that support employees, our global solutions help employers make mental health a business priority, not just a benefit,” explains Zweibrucker.
The 2026 survey of 19,000 people across 18 countries finds cost and stigma remain significant barriers to professional mental health support, with AI emerging as a way people work around them, particularly among non-natives