Ever since the coronavirus pandemic has hit the globe,the world has come to a standstill. India has been hit for over five months back, followed by an unprecedented lockdown, stress levels have been on the rise with 43 per cent Indians suffering from depression, according to a new study.
A study conducted by GOQii, a smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform, surveyed over 10,000 Indians to understand how they have been coping with the new normal. According to the study, 26 per cent of respondents were suffering from mild depression, 11 per cent were feeling moderately depressed, and six per cent were facing severe symptoms of depression.
59 per cent of the population said they had little pleasure in doing things these days, out of which 38 per cent have this feeling on a few days and 9 per cent feel so more than half of the days. Nearly 12 per cent felt this way almost every day in these times.
The study notes that, “The last five months have been unexpected. The situation has taken a major toll on the mental health of citizens. With the series of lockdowns, anxiety, job cuts, health scares, and the overall volatile environment, stress levels are at an all-time high.” Also,” Copious amounts of stress can lead to depression. With the current lockdown and lifestyle drastically changing, we have seen that 43 per cent of Indians are currently plagued with depression and are learning to cope with it.”
The study has relied on self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire or PHQ-9 (a form of primary care evaluation of mental disorders) to maintain the severity of depression in the respondents.
Vishal Gondal, Founder and CEO, GOQii said,” Our study indicates that an increasing number of people across the country are dealing with mental health issues triggered by the spread of the coronavirus and the consequent lockdown. The mounting uncertainty is the basis of the high-stress index which can be controlled with a balanced diet, changes in lifestyle and appropriate sleep patterns.”
The study also pointed out that more than 57 per cent of the respondents complained of feeling tired or having little energy through “at least some days in the last few weeks.
At least more than 15 per cent have this feeling more than half of the days. This leads to some people sleeping too much while some others have trouble sleeping.
While, the study showed that only 10% of people said that they were feeling hopeless more than half of the days or nearly every day, which is a sign of relief.
The study even gave some measures to improve the mental health of the people by adding exercise to one’s daily routine. Exercising can lead to endorphins (the happy hormone) which can help with depression. The more depressed you are, the more likely you are to not workout. “But, it is important to cajole yourself into doing more things that make you feel happier,” it suggested. The pandemic has carved out creativity out of many, new ways to stay hygienic and entertained and moreover happy and sane.
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