Landmark Study Finds Burnout and Anxiety at Record Highs Among Creators

Summary:

• A study reveals the mental health crisis among digital creators, highlighting burnout, anxiety, financial instability, and suicidal thoughts.

• Creators face constant visibility, financial pressure, and lack of mental health support in the $300 billion industry.

• Calls for change include income stability tools, transparent pay rates, and mental health support programs for creators.

A new study on the mental health of digital creators paints a troubling picture of an economy built on constant visibility and chronic exhaustion. The 2025 Content Creator Mental Health Study, conducted by Creators 4 Mental Health in partnership with Lupiani Insights & Strategies, surveyed 542 creators across North America.

It’s the clearest look yet at how financial instability and nonstop performance demands are eroding the emotional health of those powering the $300 billion creator economy.

Only eight percent of creators described their mental health as excellent. Among those who have been creating for more than five years, that number drops to four percent. The report found that 65% experience anxiety or depression related to their work, and 62% feel burnt out. The longer someone stays in the field, the worse their mental health becomes.

The report’s most alarming statistic shows that one in ten creators have had suicidal thoughts tied to their work. That rate is nearly double the national average of 5.5 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health. Researchers called this finding an urgent warning sign for the entire digital labor sector.

By comparison, a recent study found that 28 percent of U.S. employees say they feel burned out “very often” or “always,” and nearly three in four experience burnout at least sometimes.

Financial pressure is one of the biggest factors driving the decline. Nearly sixty-nine percent of creators said their income is unpredictable or inconsistent, and eighty-nine percent said they lack access to any kind of specialized mental health care or benefits. One creator quoted in the study wrote, “Money is power. The root of most of my stress comes from the instability of income that comes with this job. It’s hard to plan for the future.”

The report describes a workforce trapped in what it calls an “always on” cycle. Many creators said they wake up and check their metrics before getting out of bed and spend large portions of their day editing or monitoring engagement. Researchers found that those who check analytics several times per day report significantly lower well-being scores. Creators who spend more than twenty hours a week on unpaid work such as editing or community management are also far more likely to report exhaustion and anxiety. One respondent admitted, “You’re never really off. I’m on vacation and still editing captions in the hotel room.”

Shira Lazar, the Emmy-nominated host and founder of Creators 4 Mental Health, said the findings reflect an economic system that has outgrown its human infrastructure. “Creators are not just influencers. We’re small business owners, entrepreneurs, and digital gig workers building a new economy,” she said. “We’re doing the work of entire teams without the protections traditional workers receive. If this is the new workplace, mental well-being can’t be an afterthought. It has to be part of the foundation of this industry, with real support and care as it grows.”

The study found that creators want change from the platforms and brands that rely on their labor. Two thirds said they want income stability tools built into platforms, and fifty-nine percent said they want transparent pay rates from brands. More than half said they would use peer-support programs or therapy tailored to creators if such services existed.

Natalie Lupiani, founder and CEO of Lupiani Insights & Strategies, said the report should serve as “a roadmap for change.” She explained, “Those who benefit from creators’ labor need to help create common-sense solutions that safeguard both their well-being and the sustainability of the creator economy.”

The study’s authors warn that the mental health crisis among creators could foreshadow broader problems in digital-first work as professional and personal identities continue to merge. Sponsored by BeReal, Opus, Social Currant, Statusphere, and The AAKOMA Project, the report frames creator wellness as a public health issue rather than a personal failing. It calls for better contracting standards, clearer limits on unpaid labor, and industry-wide programs to provide mental health support.

The Creators 4 Mental Health and Lupiani Insights & Strategies teams plan to use the data to inform new community programs, policy recommendations, and training initiatives beginning in 2026. As Lupiani put it, the data should compel the industry “to decide whether the people driving this new economy can keep doing so without breaking.”

The full 2025 Creator Mental Health Study and resource kit are available at creators4mentalhealth.com/study.