A compelling new study released by PRCA MENA has laid bare a profound mental health challenge gripping the public relations and communications sector across the Middle East and North Africa.Launched at the annual PRCA MENA Conference in Dubai, the MENA Mental Health Report reveals that 55% of industry professionals experience stress, anxiety, or feelings of being overwhelmed either often or all the time, while 41% frequently suffer from burnout.The Awareness-Support DisconnectWhile the industry has made notable strides in destigmatizing mental health discourse, practical workplace backing appears to be lagging. According to the research, 76% of respondents now consider themselves well-informed about mental health—up from 66% in 2024.However, over that same period, the proportion of professionals who feel moderately or completely supported by their organizations has experienced a sharp decline, dropping from 71% down to 58%.The relentless nature of modern communications is a primary driver of the strain. An overwhelming 93% of professionals admitted to finding it difficult to disconnect from news and current events due to their job requirements, with 63% pointing to recent global and regional developments as a catalyst for heightened industry stress.A Call for Structural TransformationConrad Egbert, Head of PRCA MENA, emphasized that the regional sector has moved past simple awareness deficits into an era demanding structural accountability."We’ve become much better at talking about mental health, but we haven’t been as good at changing the conditions affecting it. The industry doesn’t have an awareness problem anymore; it has an action problem," Egbert stated. "If people understand burnout but still feel unable to switch off, manage their workload or take time to recover, then another wellbeing campaign isn’t the answer. This now comes down to how we lead, how we manage people and, fundamentally, how we design work."In terms of actionable solutions, survey respondents voiced clear demands for institutional reform:• 46% prioritize improvements to the physical and psychological working environment.• 41% call for rigorous workload management to curb burnout.• 37% advocate for direct access to professional mental health resources.John Rynehart, Chair of the PRCA MENA Mental Health Committee and Managing Director for the Middle East at Kekst CNC, echoed these sentiments, stressing that leadership must prioritize systemic overhaul over coping mechanisms."We know what drives stress, burnout and poor wellbeing," Rynehart noted. "The challenge now is whether organisations are willing to make the changes required to address them. Our collective goal should not simply be to help people cope with unhealthy ways of working. It should be to create healthier ways of working in the first place."Highlights from the Dubai SummitThe report debuted during the PRCA MENA Conference + Next Gen Summit, which convened roughly 150 communications leaders, journalists, and rising practitioners under the guiding theme “Reset the Mindset.”Opening the conference, Taif Al Amiri—Director of the Government Communication Department at the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and a PRCA MENA advisory board member—argued that modern communications must evolve beyond traditional metric tracking like reach and volume."Rewriting the narrative must begin with understanding the audience," Al Amiri remarked. "A narrative does not change simply because we communicate more. It changes when we communicate differently, when we understand what people care about, what they do not yet understand, and what will make the story meaningful to them."Throughout the day-long event, panels tackled complex industry transformations, exploring shifting centers of influence, corporate reputation, agency profitability, creative risk, and the profound implications of artificial intelligence on trust and leadership.

The UK's public relations sector generated an estimated £7.1 billion in economic value and supported more than 95,000 jobs in 2025, according to a new report commissioned by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), marking what the association says is the first independent effort to quantify the industry's contribution to the British economy.Titled "Beyond Communications: Understanding the Economic Contribution of the UK Public Relations Sector," the study was conducted independently by CBI Economics and supported by eight major communications firms—Burson, Edelman, FINN Partners, FleishmanHillard, Hanover Communications, Golin, Ketchum, Penta and Portland.The report highlights the growing role of public relations as a strategic business function, arguing that the profession has evolved well beyond traditional media relations to encompass corporate advisory, public affairs, reputation management, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement and executive counsel.£4 Billion in Direct Economic OutputUsing a bespoke industry taxonomy developed with input from PRCA members and machine learning analysis by The Data City, the report estimates that UK PR agencies and consultancies generated £4 billion in direct Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2025. Including indirect economic activity through supply chains and employee spending, the sector's total economic contribution rises to £7.1 billion.The analysis covers agency and consultancy businesses only and excludes communications professionals working in-house across corporations, government departments, charities and public sector organisations, suggesting the profession's overall economic impact is likely to be significantly higher.High-Value EmploymentAccording to the report, the PR sector directly employs more than 52,000 professionals, while its broader economic footprint supports 95,464 full-time equivalent jobs across the UK.The study found that every £1 generated directly by PR businesses creates an additional 77 pence elsewhere in the economy through supply-chain activity and consumer spending.The profession also ranks among the UK's higher-productivity knowledge industries. Average annual salaries are estimated at £46,003—around 18% above the national average—while each employee generates approximately £77,628 in GVA, placing the sector alongside legal and accounting services in terms of productivity.Industry Growth Beyond LondonWhile London remains the UK's largest PR hub, contributing approximately £2.9 billion in GVA and supporting more than 26,000 jobs, the report notes that the industry has become increasingly decentralised.Every UK region now contributes more than £100 million in economic value, with significant communications clusters emerging in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol.PR Increasingly Seen as Strategic Advisory FunctionThe report argues that traditional government industry classifications no longer accurately capture the modern communications sector because many firms operate across PR, strategic consultancy, marketing and public affairs.It also suggests that communications professionals are playing a growing role in advising senior executives on organisational strategy, public policy, employee engagement, corporate reputation and stakeholder trust.PRCA Calls for Greater RecognitionPRCA Chief Executive Sarah Waddington described the findings as a milestone for the profession."This report proves that public relations and public affairs are not peripheral functions—they are engines of economic value, trust and influence across the UK."At £7.1 billion and more than 95,000 jobs, our sector is making a major contribution to national prosperity. But its real power goes beyond the numbers. PR and public affairs help organisations navigate complexity, build confidence, shape policy, protect reputation and create the trust that modern economies depend on."She added that the findings reinforce the case for viewing PR as a strategic management discipline rather than simply a communications service, particularly at a time when organisations face increasing challenges around misinformation, AI, geopolitical uncertainty and declining public trust.Measuring the Modern PR IndustryAdriana Curca, Director at CBI Economics, said one of the biggest challenges was accurately defining today's PR sector.She noted that conventional economic classifications fail to reflect the industry's multidisciplinary nature, prompting researchers to develop a new taxonomy based on the actual services communications firms provide.According to the report, PR professionals generate around 55% more economic value per employee than the average worker across the UK's wider creative industries, underlining the sector's role as a high-value professional services industry.Trust and Reputation Driving Business ValueAlongside the report, the PRCA has published a briefing paper arguing that organisations should increasingly evaluate public relations as a driver of enterprise value rather than as a discretionary communications expense.The association contends that reputation, stakeholder trust and strategic communications have become increasingly important as businesses navigate AI-driven disruption, misinformation, regulatory scrutiny and geopolitical uncertainty.PRCA Honorary President Charles Lewington, in an accompanying opinion piece, described the UK's communications industry as "a very British success story," arguing that the country has evolved into a global leader in strategic communications consultancy through decades of innovation, entrepreneurship and industry consolidation.The report is expected to fuel wider discussions about how the communications industry measures and demonstrates its value, particularly as PR leaders seek a stronger voice in corporate decision-making and boardroom strategy.

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has appointed Dr. Stacie Graham as Chair of its Race and Ethnicity Equity Board (REEB), marking a leadership transition for the body focused on advancing equity within the communications industry.Graham takes over from Barbara Phillips, who is stepping down after six years in the role. During her tenure, Phillips contributed to strengthening the PRCA’s efforts around race and ethnicity equity, helping establish the board’s direction and industry engagement since 2020.Dr. Graham currently serves as Managing Director of Social Impact at Burson, where she works with organisations to align purpose-driven initiatives with measurable business outcomes. Her previous roles include serving as WPP’s first Human Rights Officer and leading its global racial equity programme, where she oversaw the deployment of a $30 million commitment towards inclusion initiatives and strategic investments.She holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Osnabrück and is the author of Yoga as Resistance: Equity and Inclusion On and Off the Mat.Outgoing PRCA REEB Chair, Barbara Phillips, said: “I was hugely impressed with Stacie’s stellar experience and recognised the same steely approach to what remains one of the thorniest subjects in our industry.I believe the work myself and the Board have completed since 2020 has created a foundation on which Stacie’s leadership can build and grow REEB into something even more impressive. I welcome her to the Board and look forward to supporting her as a founding member”.Dr. Stacie Graham, incoming REEB Chair, said: “The PRCA plays a vital role in setting the standard for our industry, and REEB’s work in championing race and ethnicity equity is central to that mission. I want to pay tribute to Barbara Phillips, whose leadership over the past six years has built a strong and credible foundation for the Board. I’m honoured to take on this role and committed to building on that legacy - particularly at a time when many organisations and individuals feel less confident openly discussing and supporting programmes that seek to develop and expand the reach of our industry to racially and ethnically minoritised people. That’s precisely when the work matters.”PRCA CEO Sarah Waddington CBE said: “Stacie brings a powerful combination of insight and experience at a time when this work matters more than ever and we’re excited to welcome her as Chair of the Race and Ethnicity Equity Board. I’d also like to recognise Barbara Phillips for six years of outstanding leadership, helping to shape REEB into a meaningful force for change across the profession and hold the PRCA accountable.”