The public relations and communications industry is no stranger to stress. Tight deadlines, client demands, crisis management, and the pressure to always be “on” can create a high-stakes work environment where stress is the norm. But what happens when personal life transitions, such as starting a family, caring for aging relatives, or navigating divorce, collide with professional responsibilities?
In PR, where performance is public and reputations are at stake, many professionals feel compelled to push through to meet client needs, even when life outside of work feels overwhelming. But life doesn’t pause at work, and neither should support systems.
The State of Mental Health in PR
According to Muck Rack’s State of Work Life Balance in PR 2024 report, 50% of PR professionals considered leaving their jobs due to burnout. While a majority of PR professionals believe their colleagues and company leaders would support them through mental health struggles, there remains an industry-wide gap in proactive, personalized support.
The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, mental distancing from work, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Burnout can lead to absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall diminished productivity at work.
Absenteeism refers to employees being physically absent from work due to illness, stress, or disengagement, which can disrupt not just their work but also have an impact on their colleagues and their clients. Presenteeism, on the other hand, occurs when employees are physically present at work but mentally disengaged, leading to reduced concentration and productivity. In PR, where client satisfaction is paramount and quick response and action are essential, these issues, if unaddressed, can negatively affect team morale, lower client service quality, and ultimately harm client retention and the firm’s reputation.
Life happens regardless of what industry you work in.
Life Transitions: A Hidden Stress Multiplier
In SHRM’s May 7, 2025 webinar on “Navigating Life Transitions: How HR Leaders Can Support Employee Mental Health,” experts emphasized that life transitions can impact employees differently depending on their life stage. Life transitions can range from joyful to devastating, but all can disrupt an individual’s ability to function effectively at work.
For the purposes of this blog, we consider life transitions to include:
- Children moving out or heading to college
- Marriage, divorce, or starting a family
- Managing substance abuse issues (personally or within the family)
- Caring for aging or ill relatives
- Dealing with natural disasters or climate-related displacement
- Serious health scares or accidents
Why Mental Health Support Matters in PR
The nature of PR work requires clarity, creativity, and interpersonal awareness. But when professionals are navigating certain life transitions, they may experience a lack of focus, sleep disruption, or emotional numbness, which can quickly lead to performance dips.
Common signs include:
- Fatigue and social withdrawal
- Increase in mistakes or missed deadlines
- Heightened absenteeism (often masked as doctor’s appointments)
- Having a hard time concentrating
- Startling easily
- Going to the bathroom more frequently
- Mood shifts, such as increased irritability or panic
How PR Leaders and Companies Can Make a Difference
While HR professionals and company leaders are not therapists, they are often the first line of support when an employee is struggling. A 2023 global study by the UKG Workforce Institute found that 69% of employees say their managers influence their mental health, more than doctors (51%) or therapists (41%). This highlights the crucial role leaders in PR firms play in fostering a work environment where employees feel seen, supported, and guided toward the right help. It’s important to recognize that life transitions affect people differently, and not everyone feels comfortable disclosing their struggles. To address this, leaders should adopt inclusive, proactive practices that support well-being universally.
Here are ways leaders can create a more supportive culture:
1. Normalize Mental Health Conversations
Move beyond surface-level wellness messaging. Create space for open dialogue and equip leaders to ask deeper and authentic questions like, “Is your day stressful?” and “Is there anything I can do to help with…?” and ensure they’re trained to actively listen and respond with empathy.
2. Spot the Signs Early
Subtle behavioral shifts, such as missed meetings, uncharacteristic errors, and changes in communication tone, can signal deeper issues. Recognizing these changes and spotting them early could indicate deeper struggles and prompt a timely conversation.
3. Avoid a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
It’s not always about offering more benefits. What’s more effective is empowering employees to understand what they’re going through (e.g., anxiety, grief, PTSD) and guiding them toward a pathway that makes sense for their situation.
4. Make Flexibility Real
Hybrid work and flexible hours are only effective if employees feel they can use them without judgment. Make it clear that taking time to attend therapy, care for a sick family member, or rest after a major life event is not only acceptable—it’s encouraged and necessary.
5. Offer Resources That Reflect the Reality of the Work
Consider resources that are PR-specific, such as peer support groups within the industry, access to mental health professionals who understand high-stress careers, or time management coaching can also offer valuable tools.
To create healthier, more sustainable workplaces, PR firms must go beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and build policies that recognize the full reality of employees’ lives. Life transitions aren’t disruptions—they’re part of life. Supporting employees’ well-being isn’t just compassionate, but essential. After all, more often than not, home shows up at work, and work shows up at home.