MetroPOLL Report Reveals Deep Social Burnout Across Turkey

A new report based on MetroPOLL’s end-2025 data paints a striking picture of widespread social exhaustion in Turkey, extending far beyond economic indicators. Titled “Social Burnout and Trust”, the study suggests that the country is grappling with a profound emotional and psychological fatigue, affecting daily life, social cohesion, and future expectations.

According to the findings, 61% of society is experiencing high or very high levels of burnout, while nearly one in two people says they needed psychological support within the past year. These figures highlight a growing gap between lived experiences and institutional capacity to address mental well-being.

A Nation Under Emotional Strain

The research, conducted as part of “Turkey’s Pulse – December 2025”, aims to measure what MetroPOLL defines as the country’s “emotional climate.” On a scale of 0 to 100, Turkey scored 59, placing it firmly in the high-burnout category.

Participants described their daily lives as being shaped by persistent emotional fatigue, pressure from the constant news cycle, and anxiety about the future. This collective sense of strain reflects not a single shock, but the cumulative impact of prolonged economic stress and an intense political agenda.

Burnout levels were not evenly distributed. The report identifies women, young people, the unemployed, and students as the most affected groups. Among women, two-thirds (66%) reported high burnout, a result widely attributed to combined work, caregiving, and social responsibilities.

News Consumption Turns Into a Source of Stress

One of the report’s more revealing sections examines how citizens interact with news and current affairs. Rather than serving as a source of information, the national agenda has increasingly become a trigger for stress and emotional overload.

More than 55% of respondents said that following the country’s daily news makes them feel “very” or “extremely” overwhelmed. This shift suggests that information saturation and negative headlines are contributing directly to psychological fatigue.

When asked which topics were most draining, participants pointed to four dominant areas:

Crime and violence (29%)
Politics (21%)
The economy (19%)
Social and moral deterioration (18%)

The data indicate that the issue is not disengagement but rather overexposure to distressing narratives, which erodes emotional resilience over time.

Rising Need for Psychological Support, Limited Access

The human cost of this environment becomes clearer when examining mental health needs. Over the past year, 44.3% of respondents said they felt the need for psychological support. Despite this high demand, access to professional help remains extremely limited.

In moments of distress, 70% of people rely primarily on family members, while only 2% sought help from a psychologist or psychiatrist. The report suggests that social stigma, cost barriers, and limited availability continue to restrict the use of professional mental health services.

This reliance on informal support networks underscores both the strength of family ties and the institutional weakness in mental health infrastructure.

A Widening Crisis of Trust

Beyond burnout, the report maps what it calls Turkey’s “trust landscape.” The findings reveal a fragmented society marked by skepticism and withdrawal.

Trust levels were measured across different domains:

Moderate trust in close circles such as family and friends (50 points)
Very low trust in strangers (18 points)
Limited trust in institutions (39 points)

Perhaps most striking is the segmentation of voters by trust profiles. 45% of society falls into the category of “those who trust nowhere,” expressing distrust toward the state, institutions, and other people alike.

This group is particularly prominent among opposition voters, while supporters of the ruling bloc are more likely to belong to the “institution-reliant” category—those who believe problems will ultimately be resolved by the state.

Youth and the Normalization of Emigration

The data on young people reveals another structural risk: the normalization of the desire to leave the country. While two-thirds of the general population still prefer living in Turkey, the picture changes dramatically among those aged 18–34.

Within this group—especially among educated youth—the proportion of those who say “If I had the opportunity, I would live in another country” has reached near parity with those who want to stay. The report emphasizes that this mindset is no longer marginal but has become a mainstream option.

This trend reinforces concerns about brain drain, as emotional exhaustion, a lack of trust, and limited opportunities converge to shape young people’s outlook.

2026 Outlook: Pessimism for the Country, Optimism for the Self

The final section of the report highlights a striking psychological paradox. While 47% of respondents expect 2026 to be a bad year for Turkey, 54% remain optimistic about their own personal lives.

Researchers interpret this divergence as a survival strategy. Individuals may feel pessimistic about the country’s trajectory, yet still believe in their ability to adapt, cope, and protect their immediate well-being. It reflects a shift from collective hope to individual resilience—a mindset focused on managing one’s own life amid broader uncertainty.

What the Findings Suggest

Taken together, MetroPOLL’s data points to a society experiencing deep emotional fatigue, declining trust, and fragmented expectations, yet still clinging to personal coping mechanisms. The challenge ahead lies not only in economic recovery but in restoring psychological resilience, institutional trust, and a shared sense of the future.