Surge in mental health, oncology consultations by women in 2022: Study

Women under 35 are seeking mental health support and the most discussed concerns were: withdrawal symptoms, suicidal behaviour, stress, panic, PTSD, eating disorder, drug abuse. There was an year-on-year (YoY) 23 per cent rise in consultations by women.

Chennai: There has been a surge in 2022 in consultations on oncology and mental health by Indian women, said study by Practo Technologies Pvt Ltd based on data collected from 78,000 women.

And more women under 25 are seeking mental health support, the study notes.

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According to the study, there was an year-on-year (YoY) 23 per cent rise in consultations by women.

“Notably, a majority of mental health consultations, particularly for psychotherapy, psychiatry, and psychology, were sought by younger women,” Practo said.

As per the study, women under 35 are consulting most on the mental health and the most discussed concerns were: withdrawal symptoms, suicidal behaviour, stress, panic, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorder, drug abuse and alcoholic addiction.

“In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of younger women seeking mental health support and this trend warrants attention and action. There are multiple factors contributing to this trend, such as increasing awareness and de-stigmatisation of mental health concerns, the impact of social media on mental health, and the unique stressors and challenges faced by younger generations. As a community we have to recognise this and provide support and foster overall wellbeing,” said Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer.

Talking about the trend, Dr Rajiv Nandy, Clinical Psychologist, Chairman-Shristi Child Development & Learning Institute said, “Acceptance and awareness has been the most fundamental driving force of this change. Women today are more educated, more aware of themselves and their role in society. They are in positions of power, they know how to exercise their rights, they know when and how to assert themselves and they definitely have the ability to recognise when something is not right and seek help.”

In the case of oncology consultations, there was 118 per cent growth in women in the age group 25-34, followed by women in the age group 35-44.

The other specialities consulted by women in 2022 were: Gynaecology, Dermatology, General Physician, Dentist and Pediatrician.