New Delhi: Ever since the pandemic hit India over five months back, followed by an unprecedented lockdown, stress levels have been on the rise with 43 percent Indians suffering from depression, according to a new study.
Conducted by GOQii, a smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform, the study surveyed over 10,000 Indians to understand how they have been coping with the new normal.
According to the study, 26 percent of respondents were suffering from mild depression, 11 percent were feeling moderately depressed, and six percent were facing severe symptoms of depression.
"The last five months have been unexpected. The situation has taken a major toll on the mental health of citizens. With the series of lockdowns, anxiety, job cuts, health scares, and the overall volatile environment, stress levels are at an all-time high.
"Copious amounts of stress can lead to depression. With the current lockdown and lifestyles drastically changing, we have seen that 43 percent of Indians are currently plagued with depression and are learning to cope with it," the study said.
To monitor the severity of depression in the respondents, the study relied on a self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire or PHQ-9 (a form of primary care evaluation of mental disorders).
It took into account nine aspects of an individual's daily routine, including interest levels in activities, appetite, sleep cycles, ability to concentrate, and energy levels.
"Our study indicates that an increasing number of people across the country are dealing with mental health issues triggered by the spread of the coronavirus and the consequent lockdown.
"The mounting uncertainty is the basis of the high-stress index which can be controlled with a balanced diet, changes in lifestyle and appropriate sleep patterns," said Vishal Gondal, Founder, and CEO, GOQii.
Those feeling depressed complained of having little interest or pleasure in doing things, feeling hopeless, dealing with erratic sleep cycles, poor eating habits, low levels of energy, low self-esteem, having trouble concentrating, being restless, and having thoughts of self-harm.
"More than 59 percent of the population said they had little pleasure in doing things these days, out of which 38 percent have this feeling on a few days and 9 percent feel so more than half of the days. Nearly 12 percent felt this way almost every day in these times, the study said.
It pointed out that more than 57 percent of the respondents complained of feeling tired or having little energy through "at least some days in the last few weeks".
"At least more than 15 percent have this feeling more than half of the days. This leads to some people sleeping too much while some others have trouble sleeping.
"With the change in lifestyle, approximately half of the population is having trouble with their sleep," the study said.
"At least 7 percent of the population goes through this nearly every day while 33 percent experience it on a few days," it added.
Feeling hopeless, on the other hand, was not so common among the respondents. Only 10 percent of them said they felt "down and depressed" more than half of the days or nearly every day.
The study suggested that adding exercise to one's daily routine could help improve their mental health.
"Exercising can lead to endorphins (the happy hormone) which can help with depression. The more depressed you are, the more likely you are to not workout.
"But, it is important to cajole yourself into doing more things that make you feel happier," it said.
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Lucknow (PTI): Security personnel in several districts of Uttar Pradesh remained on alert on Friday, a day after jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed across the state and teams of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with the local police have been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said earlier.
People had also started gathering at Mukhtar Ansari's residence in Ghazipur and there was a large deployment of security personnel around the house.
Principal of the Banda Medical College Hospital Suneel Kaushal said the postmortem of Mukhtar Ansari is underway at the hospital and the entire process is being videographed.
A panel of doctors is performing the postmortem and the viscera will be preserved, Kaushal said, adding the Chief Medical Officer is present at the spot.
Senior officials, including District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal, Superintendent of Police Ankur Agarwal and a large number of security personnel are present at the hospital.
Paramilitary forces and central forces have been deployed as a precautionary measure outside the medical college, officials said.
The 63-year-old Ansari was brought to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda from the district jail in "an unconscious state" on Thursday evening and died at the hospital following a cardiac arrest, Kaushal had said.
Family members of Mukhtar Ansari, including his son Umar Ansari, and counsel Naseem Haider will take the body to his home town Ghazipur for last rites after the postmortem.
His counsel Haider said the body will be taken to Ghazipur via Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Prayagraj and Varanasi and the last rites will be performed at the Kali Bagh family burial ground there.
Speaking to reporters, Umar Ansari alleged that his father was subjected to slow poisoning in jail. However, authorities have denied the charge.
"We got the news of his demise only through the media. We will demand a high-level inquiry and do whatever we have to do through court. We have full confidence in the court," he said.
Asked whose role he sees in the incident, he said it is a matter of investigation.
"We will get justice from the court," he added.
Authorities have chalked out a route plan for the safe transit of the body via road from Banda to Ghazipur, a distance of around 380 Km.
Security has also been stepped up in parts of the state in view of Friday prayers.
Mukhtar Ansari was brought to the medical college around 8.25 pm on Thursday in an unconscious state after he had complained of vomiting. A team of nine doctors attended to him but he died of cardiac arrest, the medical bulletin stated.
Afzal Ansari, who is also the Ghazipur MP, on Tuesday alleged that his brother was given slow poison in jail.
"Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in food in jail. This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad," Afzal Ansari said.
Afzal Ansari said that during the virtual hearing of a case in a Barabanki court on March 21, Ansari's lawyer had filed an application in the court alleging that his client had been given "slow poison" in jail due to which his condition was deteriorating.
Earlier, Ansari was hospitalised for around 14 hours on Tuesday after he complained of abdominal pain.
While condoling the demise of Mukhtar Ansari, many parties in Uttar Pradesh demanded a probe into his death.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said it is the responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone's life in every situation and place and demanded a probe under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge into the death of the former MLA.
BSP president Mayawati also demanded a high-level inquiry into the death of the gangster-turned-politician.
In a post on X, she said, "The persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Anasari's family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed."
Bhim Army founder and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) president Chandra Shekhar Aazad demanded a CBI investigation into the death of Ansari.
"Earlier he had expressed apprehension that he will be murdered. I demand from the High Court of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh for a CBI investigation into his death," the Dalit leader added.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former deputy Bihar chief minister Tejashwi Yadav also expressed grief at Ansari's death.
"A few days ago he had complained that he had been poisoned in jail, yet it was not taken seriously. Prima facie this does not seem justifiable and humane. Constitutional institutions should take suo motu cognizance of such strange cases and incidents," Tejashwi Yadav said in a post in Hindi on X.
Former Bihar MP Pappu Yadav, who joined the Congress recently, termed Ansari's death an "institutional murder" and demanded a court-monitored probe into it.
The Chief Justice of India should take "suo motu cognizance of this. There should be a court-monitored impartial investigation," the Congress leader said.
Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat, was behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He had over 60 criminal cases pending against him.