Nearly Half Of the Corporate Employees Have Poor Mental Health: Survey The survey also revealed that close to 80% of employees have taken approximately two weeks of leave from work in the past year due to poor mental health
By Teena Jose
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Mental Health and Wellness Quotient at Workplace 2023 by MPower, an initiative by The Aditya Birla Education Trust, survey has revealed that nearly half of the corporate employees surveyed are struggling with mental health issues with female corporate employees being more prone to high mental health risk at 56% v/s that of men at 41%. The survey claimed to be analyze the responses from a sample of 3,000 corporate employees across 8 cities in India, including corporate employees from managerial to CEO levels.
"Employee well-being programs must be implemented to support those in need, and the destigmatization of mental health is urgently required to ensure equitable support to all employees. A physically and mentally healthy workforce is crucial for a country like India, which is relying on its youth for economic growth. Let's prioritize mental health and take the necessary steps to create a healthier, more productive workforce for the betterment of our nation," said Dr Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of Mpower and Aditya Birla Education Trust.
The survey commissioned by MPower aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mental health issues faced by employees across various industries and corporates in India. The survey was conducted over a period of five months, with the results released in 2023.
"The lack of policies and efforts to destigmatize mental health further limit its use and effectiveness, resulting in a failure to implement a robust mental health package. To truly succeed, mental health needs the same level of investment, thought, and planning as physical health. It's high time we prioritize mental health in the workplace and make it an integral part of the company's wellness program," said Parveen Shaikh, VP-Operations Mpower.
The study also focused on 10 specific sectors including FMCG, automobile, durables, BPO, banking, education, IT, healthcare, hospitality, and e-commerce. Across the sectors surveyed the findings revealed that the e-commerce sector has the highest risk of poor mental health among employees, i.e. 64% of the total employees surveyed from the e-commerce sector are 'at risk' of poor mental health. It further revealed that close to 80% of employees have taken approximately two weeks of leave from work in the past year due to poor mental health.
Mpower, is a revolutionary social enterprise that has brought about a paradigm shift in India's attitude towards mental health by spreading awareness, alleviating stigma, and providing holistic mental health care.