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The Rising Mental Health Crisis
Context:
Recent incidents, such as the tragic suicides of a 26-year-old woman executive and a 38-year-old software engineer, highlight the severe impact of work stress on mental health in India.
More on News:
- Despite their seemingly successful careers, these cases underscore a deeper, growing mental health crisis fueled by societal pressures, anxiety, and depression.
- Many professionals battle emotional struggles behind a façade of contentment and success.
Mental Health Epidemic in India:
- India is witnessing a surge in mental health disorders, with over 197 million people suffering from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse (according to The Lancet Psychiatry Commission).
- Rapid economic growth, urbanisation, and rising personal expectations have intensified these issues, while the focus on material wealth often overshadows mental well-being.
Causes:
- Existential Questions and the Loss of Purpose: As individuals chase productivity and material success, they lose sight of fundamental existential questions like “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?”
- While ancient philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle emphasised self-reflection and virtuous living, today’s relentless pursuit of efficiency distances individuals from these deeper reflections, worsening the mental health crisis.
- Impact of Consumerism: India’s growing consumer culture equates wealth and material goods with success, leading to a vicious cycle of stress and comparison.
- Consumer choice is often mistaken for freedom.
- Many feel isolated and inadequate despite achieving material wealth, as social validation replaces self-awareness and meaningful relationships.
- The Growing Issue of Workplace Stress: The global rise in workplace suicides, particularly among young professionals, echoes Japan’s “karoshi” or “death from overwork.”
- A report by Statista notes that 11,486 Indian professionals in the private sector died by suicide in 2022, reflecting the strain caused by excessive workloads and toxic work cultures that prioritise profit over well-being.
- Overwork is normalised, creating hyper-competitive environments where success is tied to relentless activity.
- Employers justify excessive workloads by rationalising them as essential for organisational growth, ignoring the human toll.
Initiatives being taken in IndiaIndia has been actively addressing mental health issues through various government initiatives aimed at improving access, awareness, and quality of mental health care.
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What Needs to be Done?
- Rethinking Success and Well-Being: To break this cycle, societal notions of success must shift from individual wealth accumulation to collective well-being.
- Strong social connections, community, and meaningful work are crucial for mental health.
- Yet, current political and economic priorities, such as extended work hours (like Karnataka’s proposal to allow 12+ hour workdays), threaten these values and contribute to burnout.
- Learning from Global Examples: Community-oriented living can foster mental well-being. Initiatives like Brazil’s community gardens, where residents reconnect through shared responsibilities, offer examples that India could adopt.
- Such initiatives strengthen social bonds, counteract urban isolation, and encourage collective purpose.
- Shifting Focus to Employee Well-Being: Companies need to reassess their work cultures, offering flexible schedules, mental health support, and opportunities for remote work.
- Research shows that happier employees are more productive.
- Redefining Productivity: Organisations should shift their focus from measuring success by hours worked to evaluating the quality of work. This shift would promote a more sustainable and healthier workforce, where employees feel valued for the depth of their contributions rather than their constant busyness.
- Collective Action for Change: Employees must feel empowered to set boundaries, and companies need to prioritise holistic well-being.
- Promoting mindfulness, work-life balance, and early interventions for mental health issues are essential steps toward creating a healthier and more supportive work environment.
