Jessica O'ConnorAdults aged 40 to 60 are driving the highest levels of stress, burnout and mental health consultations on Teladoc Health UK’s platform, as growing caregiving responsibilities place increasing pressure on the UK’s so-called ‘sandwich generation’.
The term refers to people in mid-life who are simultaneously supporting dependent children while also caring for ageing parents.
As people have children later and the population ages, this group is growing and increasingly facing combined emotional, financial and time pressures.
Analysis of Teladoc Health UK’s platform data revealed that adults aged 40 to 60 account for the largest share of mental health consultations.
The group represented 41% of stress-related consultations and 40% of burnout consultations, the highest proportion among all age groups.
They were also the largest users of digital GP services, making up 32% of consultations on the platform.
This compares with 11% among under-18s and just 3% among adults over 60.
The data suggested middle-aged adults are increasingly turning to digital healthcare services as they balance work responsibilities with family and caregiving demands.
The strain on this group was also visible across other consultation categories.
Nearly half (48%) of bereavement consultations came from people aged 40 to 60, reflecting the emotional impact of losing parents or older relatives.
Parenting-related mental health consultations were also heavily concentrated among this age group, with two-thirds (66%) coming from adults aged 40 to 60.
Alongside mental health pressures, physical health complaints linked to stress and ageing were also common.
The age group accounted for 42% of GP consultations for lower back pain and 41% of knee pain consultations.
Overall, adults aged 40 to 60 made up 38% of all mental health consultations on the Teladoc platform.
David Griffiths, chief medical officer at Teladoc Health UK, said: “People in their 40s and 50s often experience a perfect storm of overlapping and conflicting responsibilities.
“The classic trifecta is raising children, while supporting older parents and taking on more and more responsibilities in their career; all while their body is starting to remind them of their age.
“For those who start their families later, the small children phase is exhausting. For those with teenagers, the problems are chunkier. What our data shows is that this pressure is translating into very real health impacts, particularly stress, burnout and physical strain.”
He added: “This group is often seen as being in the prime of their working lives, but in reality many are managing an intense set of personal and professional demands that can easily overwhelm traditional support systems. For women, who often take on much of the care burden, the onset of the peri-menopause can also be destabilising.
“The sandwich generation often falls between the gaps in workplace wellbeing strategies. They may not identify with initiatives aimed at younger employees, but they also feel far from retirement support programmes.
“As, often, senior leaders, they may find it hard to engage openly with group activities. Employers who recognise these pressures, from caregiving to bereavement and parenting stress, will be better placed to support a critically important segment of their workforce.”
