Once relegated to the shadows, mental health is now central to public discourse. Especially since the pandemic, more people are willing to talk about mental health within the workplace and beyond. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, are unafraid to prioritise their mental wellbeing. Encouraged by their peers and celebrities opening up about mental health issues on social media, young people recognise that it’s no longer something to be ashamed of. Mental illness can happen to anyone, anytime; it’s no one’s fault, and it’s ok to seek help.
This shift in mindset couldn’t have come soon enough. Gen Z and Millennials are grappling with increasingly high levels of fear and uncertainty triggered by several crises we’ve witnessed in the last three years: COVID-19, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the pressure to conform to unrealistic standards on social media, and more.
According to Deloitte, over half of Gen Zs (53 percent) and 45 percent of millennials in India say they feel anxious or stressed all or most of the time. That’s higher than the global average. Meanwhile, within the workplace, the 2023 Asia Mental Health Index found that 60 percent of Indian employees are feeling more stressed than last year. Fifty-three percent report that their mental health is negatively impacting their
