Stress affects 79%, about 48% need professional help

STRESS LEVELS are particularly high among people who display neurotic personality traits, and those who have limited resources to cope with their neurosis.

People experience high levels of stress due to inherent personality traits which make them unable to cope with challenges. According to a survey, 79 per cent of the population is highly stressed.

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. A survey was conducted across in major cities of the country to commemorate the occasion. According to the results of the survey, 79 per cent of the population experiences problems due to personality traits which render their coping mechanisms ineffective. 48 per cent of them need professional help to be able to deal with stress.

As a part of the study, 2,463 people were examined over a period of three months.

It was found that the main causes of stress among people were work-related. Fifteen per cent of the people interviewed revealed that they suffered from stress due to physical distress or discomfort.

Dr Samir Parikh, the director of the department of mental health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Hospital, Delhi, said, “The evaluation of stress levels needs to become an integral part of all preventive health packages in order to increase awareness about and sensitivity towards mental health. The objective has to be to help individuals know more about psychological well-being and mental health.”

The study reveals that 22 per cent of the participants reported mild-levels of stress. They were found to benefit from intervention regimes such as counselling and psychotherapy. 30 per cent of individuals reported optimal levels of stress with no significant need for psychological intervention.