Last Updated on September 21, 2022 by The Health Master
New Delhi: There was a 665 percent rise in queries about mental health issues between October 2019 and September 2020, according to a report released by telemedicine app Practo.
The growth, Practo said in a press release issued Friday, is nearly five times that witnessed in the corresponding period between 2018 and 2019.
Of all the mental health queries recorded, 60 percent were from Indians aged between 21 and 30 years, followed by 25 percent in the 31–40 age group, 5 percent in the 41–60 age group, and 10 percent among those aged 60 and above.
Anxiety, stress, and panic attacks were the most common mental health issues discussed by people accessing the app, said the report, titled “Practo Health Insights (October 2019 to September 2020)’.
According to the data, concerns regarding bipolar disorder and depression have recorded a significant increase in the past six months, which witnessed the worsening of the C-19 pandemic.
Seventy percent of the mental health-related consultations between October 2019 and September 2020 came from men.
35% of queries are from non-metropolitan cities
The data is drawn from searches sought on the Practo app, which is based in Bengaluru and is accessible throughout India. The app refused to disclose the exact numbers on which the insights are based.
“It’s important to reduce the negative stigma associated with mental health care. “Practo Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer Dr. Alexander Kuruvilla has played an important role in the mental health response, especially in the last six months, but its full potential is yet to be unlocked,” said Practo Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer Dr. Kuruvilla, as quoted in a press release accompanying the report.
“The key is to talk and seek timely help, and with the launch of this campaign, we aim to do just that—encourage people to seek help, and consult experts affordably, safely, while keeping their privacy and anonymity intact.”
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The Practo report suggests that 35 percent of all queries about mental healthcare were recorded from non-metro cities.
Queries from non-metro cities recorded a growth of 1,200 percent in the period covered by the report, while those from metropolitan cities went up by 500 percent.
Bengaluru, the report said, accounted for the highest number of mental health queries, followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata.
Among non-metro cities, the highest number of queries came from Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur, Hubli, Kanpur, and Ahmedabad.
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