HYDERABAD: The last five months have been unexpected and have adversely impacted the health habits of citizens across India. The situation has taken a major toll on the mental health of citizens, and has become a major talking point in the last few months. With the series of lockdowns, anxiety, job cuts, health scares, and the overall volatile environment, stress levels are at an all-time high. Copious amounts of stress can lead to depression.
With the current lockdown and lifestyles drastically changing, we have seen that 43 per cent of Indians are currently plagued with depression and are learning to cope with it. While 26 per cent Indians facing mild depression, 17 per cent face a more strenuous kind.
It is concerning to note that 6 per cent Indians are severely depressed. GOQii, the smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform, conducted a survey across 10,000+ Indians to understand how Covid-19 has changed lifestyle and how Indians are adapting to the new normal. This is a comparative study and highlights the glaring difference in lifestyle habits pre-Coronavirus and post lockdown.
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. We at GOQii believe that preventive healthcare is the future and the only viable, long-term solution given the huge load on the healthcare system in India. Mental health has a huge impact on physical health and overall quality of life, hence, addressing it sooner with a healthy and wholesome lifestyle is the only way ahead.”
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According to the self-administered, patient health questionnaire PHQ – 9, consisting of nine areas, monitors the severity of depression and response in a population