ITC Fiama, in partnership with NielsenIQ, released its second consecutive mental well-being survey that focused on mental health triggers and de-stressors for Indians. The survey was conducted in September 2022 among 870 people aged 16-45 years across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore. 

The survey revealed millennials (81%) are mostly stressed about work, with women feeling more stressed than men at their workplace. GenZ (87%) find relationship breakups to be the most stressful. But only 1/3rd of GenZ were ready to seek help from a therapist if recommended by a friend or family member.

Why work and relationships became mental health triggers for Indians

For 65% of Indians who said work-related issues affected their mental health, factors like career decisions, work-life imbalance, work pressure, and bad managers were the top contributors. Women were more stressed than men at the workplace. That’s why, 9 out of 10 women sought improved work-life balance policies.

For 85% of Indians who said relationship issues affect their mental health, factors like breakups followed by the pressure of fitting in with friends, the pressure of maintaining relationships, and toxic relationships contributed to it the most. Again, women were found to be more stressed about relationships, as 86% of women considered the pressure of maintaining relationships as a major cause of stress.

Another issue that affects the mental health of 1/3rd of GenZ is body image. Half of the male students mentioned that body image issues negatively impact their mental health.

Music to the rescue for most Indians!

While 2/3rd of GenZ has taken a break from social media to protect their mental health, 7 out of 10 GenZ find it better to cope with their issues when influencers and celebrities openly talk about their mental health struggles on social media. Music is the go-to de-stressor for most Indians. Other hacks include yoga, meditation, eating good food, spending time with loved ones, and watching TV. 

Virtual clinics initiative by ITC Fiama and Minds Foundation

To help people get easy access to mental health professionals and encourage them to seek therapy, ITC Fiama, in association with Minds Foundation, has created dedicated virtual clinics. In addition, ITC Fiama also released a few memes across its social media platforms to help mitigate the stigma around mental health and amplify the conversations through pop culture references.