65% youth show early signs of depression: Survey

As per the report, youngsters have lower levels of mental wellness as compared to people in older age-groups.

Mumbai, April 8: Around 65 per cent youth between the age group of 22-25 show early signs of depression, a study has revealed.

An online survey was conducted by ICICI Lombard wherein 1,100 male and female between the age group of 22-50 years in the country responded to the queries.

The survey said that 65 per cent of the youth respondents between the age group of 22-25 displayed early signs of depression.

The study further highlights that lower income levels are also a major cause of stress among people. Additionally, 64 per cent respondents were sleep deprived, which is among the leading symptoms of depression.

Lack of sleep is a prominent cause of poor mental wellness, whereas the overall mental wellness levels among women is higher (66 per cent) when compared to males (55 per cent), the survey revealed.

As per the report, youngsters have lower levels of mental wellness as compared to people in older age-groups.

Around 55 per cent respondents said income related issues contributed to the worry in professional life, whereas Tier-1 cities have lowest levels of mental wellness in the country.

"Poor mental wellness is a major cause of concern and our survey reveals that it is becoming a common phenomenon among the youth and larger cities," Sanjay Datta, chief of underwriting, claims and reinsurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance said.

"It is time that various stakeholders came together to address this issue in a systematic manner," he added.

The survey further revealed that when it comes to professional life, lower income (55 per cent), competition at work (24 per cent) and lower performance (21 per cent) are the main reasons that cause anxiety in people.

PTI