Workplace Affecting Mental Health? Understanding what affects mental health at work in India

 

Last year's World Mental Health Day Theme was 

  

"Mental Health at Work"

The aim of the theme was to raise awareness about mental health and connect it to the workplace. Since unhealthy workplaces can be a significant source of stress, fostering a safe work environment can be a protective factor for our mental health. Poor work environments that foster stigma or discrimination, improper working conditions and harassment can lead to significant damage to quality of life, mental health and in turn productivity at work.

This was what was mentioned on the WHO website during last year's World Mental Health Day, and the theme rings true even today (and maybe will do so tomorrow). Before we move forward, I did want to mention the following:

Note: This blog post is not a replacement for therapy or other interventions. The information I share here is based on research papers, articles, book chapters and my experience as a therapist. But what I write here might not answer your specific questions or cover your specific concerns- this is general information. Please reach out to someone for assistance if you believe you need it, whether they are a psychologist or psychiatrist. We deserve all the help and resources that we need!

Workplace mental health is a matter of great concern in the world, but considering that one of the countries with the largest working population is India, the mental health struggles faced by them need as much spotlight as any other.

Over the last decade, the data reveal a worrying picture of the state of people's emotional well-being, especially those between the ages of 15 and 64 years. Mental health is often viewed as taboo in our country, but over the years, there has been a shift, bringing hope that our attitudes towards it will also evolve to make interventions more accessible. Yet, the employed population of India are silently being strangled by the grips of stress, a poor support system, and limited access to resources.

1. Migrating away from home for jobs: Many people move away from home for jobs and find themselves on their own, navigating the difficulties of adult life. For some people, family members can provide emotional or financial support that can help alleviate feelings of loneliness.

2. Poor work hours in India: Many Indians have shared how poor work hours have affected their mental health and made work-life balance nonexistent. 9-to-5 is more of a theoretical concept that gets forgotten in real life, and people are expected to stay back way past the regular work hours. In many companies, especially multinational corporations, employees may find themselves working late hours to accommodate work schedules abroad.

3. Hierarchy in office culture: It is 2025, and while some startups are redefining work cultures, many other companies still have hierarchies that are influenced by job roles. And it can happen outside the corporate sector too, including but not limited to workplaces in the educational sector, public sector jobs, management sectors, hospitality, or even healthcare sectors. This can make a person feel isolated, face the pressure of taking on too many responsibilities, and experience workplace harassment from supervisors.

4. Expectation to be available for work: Work-Life Balance as a concept is talked about a lot as one of the steps to establish a good mental health routine. However, this is often a concept only on paper, as many employees take their work home or are expected to be on call even after work hours have ended. As a therapist, I have had people share their constant nervousness and restlessness because of work calls or work hours that leave them with no time to relax or affect their sleep.

5. Indian workers are not always treated well: There have been experiences shared by people on the internet about working in Multinational corporations and being treated poorly by their colleagues/teams working abroad. In sessions, too, some of the things shared by clients included instances of racism, taking up work assignments not done by others, and being expected to attend meetings at odd work hours. These are not true for every company, but it is still a worrying predicament that could leave people feeling stressed and eventually burned out. Even within Indian offices, employers at times create environments for people that are not conducive to their growth and well-being (people share instances of verbal abuse, interpersonal conflicts or groupism that affect employees).

What can we do about ensuring better workplace mental health?

• Boundaries within the workplace- workplace boundaries play a crucial role in making sure that we have more autonomy in the workspace. Boundaries aren't about refusing to collaborate or cooperate; it is meant to give ourselves the space to acknowledge our need for support, break, network, and growth at the workplace. They are collaborative communication tools that can help employees and employers understand each other, too. 

          Knowing when to seek help when going through a tough project, asking for support, not putting too much pressure on one employee, knowing how to delegate work, are all part of workplace boundaries, and it is the responsibility of everyone involved (employers, employees and other stakeholders).

• Collaboration over Competition- Many newer employees find themselves being part of a rat race to move ahead in their careers, and we can't find fault in people for joining the race. With high competition in most fields, advancing in one's career means making significant sacrifices, but it doesn't have to be a lonely journey. In therapy, many people feel overwhelmed by having to handle work pressure alone and many even hesitate to ask for help from supervisors or even colleagues, with fear of being ridiculed or being considered incompetent.

          Collaboration at workplaces helps to build trust not only among each other but with the company/organisation too. Companies have to focus on fostering work cultures that favour collaboration over competition and imbibe it within their organisation's values.

• Support and respect over rigid role-based hierarchies- Indian workplaces have role hierarchies that determine how people might behave at their jobs, what responsibilities they are expected to take up during work and how they interact with each other. But there are instances where the same can negatively affect workplace dynamics - managers might give responsibilities to newer employees that they don't completely understand, expect them to take more responsibilities because 'they are new', expect complete obedience, not expecting different opinions, all of which create an abrasive workplace environment. Not to forget that the managers themselves might face the same pressure from their higher-ups.

           Work can bring in a lot of stress, and having supportive colleagues, supervisors or managers who are understanding and willing to work together can create a conducive work environment that encourages people to go through challenging work situations. Proper compensation for work, respecting employees irrespective of their job title (some junior employees have experienced verbal abuse at the workplace too) or creating a work environment where everyone collaborates not only for a common work goal but also for the safety of the employees, can all help to nurture healthier workplace mental health.

• Therapy isn't always enough- Over the years, mental health has become an important topic of discussion, whether it be in our personal lives, at work or in education. This also means that organisations and companies are collaborating with mental health organisations, hiring psychologists or making time for their employees' wellbeing. But these changes haven't been uniform across the country, with some companies still lagging behind with actually prioritising workplace mental health when opposed to simply adding these amenities as a way to check it off a list. And therapy can only do so much when the workplace culture is extremely stress-inducing. Chronic stress can affect our immunity, gastrointestinal health and even our immunity, and in such cases, therapy can't undo the impression stress leaves on our physical bodies- medical interventions, physical rest, and lifestyle changes become paramount.

• Mental health interventions that focus on systemic changes- This is an extension of what is mentioned above and is a call for systemic changes that foster good mental health at workplaces. Systemic changes not only include providing accessible mental health services to employees but also involve creating opportunities to spread awareness, creating workplace policies that take into account everyone's mental health, making employees part of the decision-making process, allocating proper resources for healthcare, and including mental health-related values within the company's values. Systemic changes need to address the core reasons for their employees' mental health and turn those goals into actionable steps.