Mental Health Leave Stigma in India: Report

Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) Nearly three out of four Indian professionals (75 per cent) surveyed still hesitate to be transparent about taking time off for mental health reasons, fearing being perceived as 'incapable', a report said on Friday.

Most Indian professionals, nearly 75 per cent, still hesitate to be transparent about taking leave for mental health reasons, according to a report by Naukri.

The top fear is being viewed as incapable, a concern shared by 31 per cent of the respondents, followed by 27 per cent worrying about judgment from colleagues, while 21 per cent fear being dismissed as someone who makes excuses, the report revealed.

Another 21 per cent of the professionals interviewed believed it could impact their career growth, it added.

The report by Naukri is based on inputs from 19,650 job seekers across 80 industries.

Further, the report found that close to half (45 per cent) said they would simply mark it as a general sick leave.

Only 28 per cent felt comfortable being explicit about the reason, while 19 per cent said they would rather avoid taking leave at all, and 9 per cent would fabricate a different excuse entirely, said the report.

Meanwhile, the report found that poor work-life balance tops the list at 39 per cent, which affects mental health at work.

Micromanaging bosses aren't far behind at 30 per cent, followed by lack of recognition at 22 per cent, and fear of making mistakes at 10 per cent, which are the other reasons cited as causing mental health issues of employees, the report stated.

Asked what single intervention would help most, 60 per cent of the respondents pointed to flexible work options, followed by stress-management workshops (22 per cent), paid mental health days (10 per cent), or managerial training (9 per cent), added the report.

The report found that freshers and early-career professionals (0-5 years) are the most guarded with only 25 per cent saying they would call a mental health day what it is, while 43 per cent would code it as sick leave.

However, when it came to experienced or senior professionals, where approximately 40 per cent said they'd be open about it, it added.