One of the most important concerns facing the younger generation is mental health, a global issue that includes India. The emphasis has been almost entirely on how to manage and cure the disease rather than understanding the underlying causes of poor mental health, despite its growing importance and relevance.
In India’s most educated and affluent population, youth’s current mental health is at an alarmingly high level. Over 50% of younger generations had mental well-being scores that fell into the distressed or struggling category, which is associated with 5 or more clinically significant symptoms.
A current series of study reports on mental health in India has been published by the Sapien Labs Centre for Human Brain and Mind at Krea University in India. The first report focuses on the mental health of young people, especially those between the ages of 18 and 24, who speak English as their first language and frequently use the internet also known as the Gen-Z population.
The study’s findings show that the COVID-19 widespread had the greatest negative impact on the mental health of people between the ages of 18 and 24 despite the different economic factors.
About the Study:
A collaboration between Sapien Labs and Krea University to pursue research and education relating to the human brain and mind has resulted in the Sapien Labs Centre for the Human Brain and Mind. The Sapien Labs Global Mind Project started gathering online data in 2020 to evaluate the mental health of India’s internet-enabled people.
The results are based on information gathered from 106,427 respondents in 36 states and Union Territories from the Global Mind Project between April 2020 and August 2023. Data were gathered using the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ). This test evaluates 47 areas of mental feeling and function and combines them to create a composite mental well-being score that correlates linearly with a person’s capacity for function.
Empowering Mental Wellness:
The MHQ is a comprehensive online self-report test that The Global Mind Project uses to collect data from adults (18+) across the Internet-literate world. By broadly targeting populations in each age-gender group across 70+ countries in 12 different languages, the Global Mind Project finds participants through advertising on Facebook and Google.
People take the MHQ to receive their mental wellness scores and a full report with self-help advice. Every day, 1000–2,000 people worldwide complete the assessment and contribute their data to a live database.
The MHQ is a free, anonymous online survey that takes around 15 minutes to complete. Respondents provide their responses to a variety of demographic, lifestyle, and life experience questions in addition to the scored items on mental feeling and function.
Inferences drawn from the data gathered, noting that these findings apply to India’s largely English-speaking, internet-connected population. Additionally, this group is more educated than the general population; only 10% of individuals who have never used the internet have a higher education degree, compared to 42% of internet users.
Study Findings:
COVID-19 compelled the internet-enabled population to spend more time online, indoors, and with fewer social connections. During the outbreak, there have been reports of a significant prevalence of depression and other mental problems.
The study reveals three key findings based on information from a sizable online mental health survey:
- There has been a drop in the mental health of the internet-using population in India from 2020 to 2023. Observation revealed a decline across the age spectrum, with a primary impact observed in younger individuals or youth.
- There is variance in mental wellness among states in the overall adult population, although young (18-24-year-olds) are equally poor across the nation.
- The study observes a comparable gradient across all levels of household income, showing that economic considerations are unable to account for the association between age and mental health.
Considering the entirety, this data suggests that mental health constitutes a significant and growing concern among the youth in India who have internet access. Additionally, a substantial and expanding portion of the Indian population comprises the youth. Given the sheer size of the issue, a strategy that primarily focuses on managing and treating mental health issues is unlikely to succeed.
