Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Survey Highlights Regional Gaps in India's Mental-Health Help-Seeking
A survey asked people in India about mental health and getting help.
In its regional results, people in East India were most likely to say they might hesitate to see a therapist.
People in East India also reported the greatest concern about mental-health problems becoming more common.
The survey found some differences between men's and women's answers.
It also found that parents in East India were more worried about their children coping with setbacks than parents on average across India.
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and Mpower offer two free grief-counselling sessions to eligible nominees of deceased policyholders.
The article says that noticing a problem and knowing when to ask a professional for help are not the same thing.
It also says the survey does not explain why people hesitate, and its results should not be taken to represent every person or region.
The survey reported that 25% of East India respondents would hesitate to see a therapist, versus 22% in the North, 21% in the West and 14% in the South.
Concern about growing mental-health problems was highest in East India, where 26% of respondents expressed worry.
In East India, 27% of men and 24% of women said they would hesitate to see a therapist.
In the North and West, 25% of women and 22% of men were concerned about the growing prevalence of mental-health problems.
In East India, 25% of parents worried about their children's ability to cope with setbacks, compared with a national average of 21%.
- Who
- Survey respondents in India, including parents; comments were also provided by Kamlesh Rao and Amit Gupta.
- What
- A survey reported attitudes about mental-health concerns, therapy hesitation and children's ability to cope with setbacks.
- Where
- India, with findings reported for the East, North, West and South.
- Why
- The survey explored perceptions and willingness to seek professional mental-health support; it did not establish why respondents might hesitate.
- East India therapy hesitation
- 25% of respondents said they would hesitate to see a therapist.
- Therapy hesitation by region
- North: 22%; West: 21%; South: 14%.
- East India concern about prevalence
- 26% expressed concern about the growing prevalence of mental-health problems.
- East India gender difference
- 27% of men and 24% of women expressed hesitation about seeing a therapist.
- North and West gender finding
- 25% of women and 22% of men expressed concern about the growing prevalence of mental-health problems.
- Parents' concerns
- 25% of East India parents worried about children's ability to cope with setbacks; the national average was 21%.
- Grief counselling
- ABSLI and Mpower offer two complimentary sessions to each eligible nominee of a deceased policyholder.
- Survey limitation
- The results reflect respondents' perceptions and are not necessarily representative of every individual or region in India.