अ-Nishchit Index 2.0 highlights regional and gender differences in attitudes towards mental health
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital, has released findings from its अ-Nishchit Index 2.0 ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10.
The survey of 3,583 respondents across 20 cities found that 81% believe mental health issues are rising across society, while nearly 80% hesitate to seek therapy or counselling. Attitudes also vary by region and gender.
In the East, 25% of respondents expressed hesitation about seeing a therapist, compared with 22% in the North, 21% in the West and 14% in the South. The East also recorded the highest concern about rising mental health problems, at 26%. In the North and West, women expressed greater concern than men. Meanwhile, 25% of parents in the East worried about their children’s ability to cope with setbacks, against the national average of 21%.
In partnership with Mpower, ABSLI offers two complimentary grief counselling sessions to nominees and loved ones of deceased policyholders, providing professional emotional support during bereavement.
Kamlesh Rao, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, said, “The Index shows that attitudes to mental health in India are shaped by region, gender and family circumstances, so our response has to account for those differences. At ABSLI, we see protection as more than financial cover. Our grief counselling service, run with Mpower, supports families after the loss of a loved one, when they need emotional support as much as financial support. We want asking for help to become an ordinary thing to do.”
Amit Gupta, CFO, Aditya Birla Education Trust, and Head – Operations, Mpower, added, “The findings point to an important gap, people may recognise that mental-health concerns are rising, yet recognising distress in oneself or a loved one and knowing when to seek professional help remain very different things. Grief is a powerful example of it, as it is often deeply buried, with its impact surfacing in professional productivity, family relationships and physical health, while the need for support goes unrecognised. This reinforces the need to build mental-health literacy early and embed it in school curricula, so that recognising distress and seeking help become part of everyday life.”
