A survey of white-collared workers by Deloitte India found that more than 80 per cent of Indian employees experienced at least one adverse mental health symptom during the pandemic. The survey titled ‘Mental health and well-being in the workplace’ noted, “More than 80 per cent of respondents reported being affected by at least one adverse mental health symptom, while more than 65 per cent reported at least two symptoms, and over 50 per cent indicated three or more such symptoms.” The study surveyed 3,995 employees across age groups.
Seeking help While there is increasing awareness on mental health, the proportion of people seeking help remains low. The Deloitte survey says only 61 per cent of people with mental health issues have taken steps to manage it. Of this, only 34 per cent relied on professional help. “In terms of the steps most commonly taken, we found that workers opted for low-cost and easily available resources to manage their mental health, including self-help techniques (50 per cent) and reaching out to friends and family (48 per cent). Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and indulging in hobbies emerged as some common self-help techniques that respondents relied on, in addition to support from friends and family,” it said.
A therapy session, on average, costs ₹1,000 in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai, according to an analysis of a crowd-sourced list of therapists.
Spiralling depression
The Deloitte survey found that among those who experienced mental health issues, 59 per cent were depressed; 55 per cent experienced burnout; and 49 per cent had anxiety. More than 60 per cent of those surveyed in IT and ITES, consulting or business advisory, and banking and financial services reported an increase in mental health symptoms due to Covid-19.