INDIA: Approximately 50% of all corporate workers in India suffer the pangs of mental health risks, as revealed in a study that is facilitated by the Aditya Birla Education Trust named ‘The Silent Struggle’ by Mpower.
According to the study, one of the prime reasons for mental health risks in Indians is the office workload which highlighted that 9 out of 10 respondents struggled to attain a work-life balance.
The study also concluded that women suffered more than men out of 1373 respondents; 56% were vulnerable and were prone to mental health risks, as against 41% of men. The study was conducted in the right metropolitan cities with 3000 people as interviewers. The cities of focus were Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune.
The nature of work plays a critical part in poor mental health. 9 out of 10 participants, as per the survey, admitted experiencing a poor work-life balance. A significantly larger incidence of the mental functional decline occurred for people who worked more than 45 hours per week.
Some of the most vulnerable groups are the mid-level employees with the duties that come with age that follows with having to tackle myriad things all at once, including the desire for promotions, handling a team and spending time with family, as per Dr Parveen Shaikh of Mpower.
A psychiatrist at Mpower, Dr Sapna Bangar added, “When you work in a toxic or unfriendly atmosphere, you hate going to work, and your stress levels are already high. Breaks are also necessary, yet as we discovered, 94% of employees are expected to work while on leave.”
The pressure from one domain seeping over into the other was followed closely by associated family issues. Some other important source of concern was financial insecurity.
A lack of job security, which makes a significant contribution to a degree of financial instability, might have been revealed by an assessment of some of the considerations, according to Dr Sapna. It can be advantageous to broaden support in the form of lending or medical coverage.
Dr Bangar says, “Chronic stress, which leads to elevated levels of cortisol, can lead to diabetes, hypertension and back pain, among other physical issues. These are irreversible and occurring more and more at younger ages.”
According to Dr Shaikh, some of the ways to make a positive impact are ensuring “leisure and happiness” at a personal level. In the workplace environment, “a mental health policy including leaves, support, awareness programs, and de-stigmatization can help,” as per Shaikh.
Dr Shaikh added that with more than 80% of participants acknowledged they had taken two weeks’ worth of leave in the previous year due to stress, anxiety, and poor mental health, mental health leaves are conceivably the answer.
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