Mental health top of mind for learners in India in 2020

In 2020, a record number of people turned to online learning as a source of hope, growth, and resilience amid economic uncertainty, and campus and workplace disruptions.

New Delhi: Responding to the ongoing pandemic, Indians turned to online learning to better understand the ways in which they are impacted and how to take care of mental and physical health. Courses on Covid-19, physical fitness, mental health and happiness, along with psychology in the healthcare domain, were among the most subscribed courses on Coursera online learning platform in 2020.

The high number of Covid-19 cases in India has put immense pressure on the existing healthcare infrastructure and frontline workers in the country, requiring a larger pool of skilled professionals to efficiently respond to the pandemic. The pandemic altered the way of life, adversely impacting the mental and physical health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates suggest that almost 20% of India might have fallen prey to some or the other mental disorder by the end of this year.

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The list of the ten most popular courses in healthcare domain in India was topped by Introduction to Psychology (Yale University), Social Psychology (Wesleyan University), COVID-19 Contact Tracing (Johns Hopkins University), Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 (University of Toronto) and A Life of Happiness and Fulfilment (Indian School of Business).

According to Coursera, other courses in the top 10 list in Health are Buddhism and Modern Psychology (Princeton University), Science of Exercise(University of Colorado Boulder), COVID-19: What You Need to Know (Osmosis), Psychological First Aid (Johns Hopkins University), and Stanford Introduction to Food and Health (Stanford University).
A large number of Indians also enrolled in courses in courses such as Learning How to Learn and The Science of Well-Being.

In 2020, a record number of people turned to online learning as a source of hope, growth, and resilience amid economic uncertainty, and campus and workplace disruptions. The most popular courses on Coursera highlight that learners in India are striving to develop the critical tech, business and data skills and simultaneously gain control of their mental health. The trend is a reflection of learners pursuing courses necessary to be successful in a world where remote or hybrid working has become the norm.

Courses like Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python), Machine Learning, English for Career Development, Python Data Structures, AI For Everyone, Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects, Neural Networks and Deep Learning, Write Professional Emails in English, Financial Markets, and The Science of Well-Being remain top overall courses on the learning platform.