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Addressing Mental Health Challenges in India’s Tech Workplaces
Addressing Mental Health Challenges in India’s Tech Workplaces

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Why Mental Health Needs to Be a Business Priority Now

Mental health is no longer just a personal concern it’s a core issue that affects talent retention, innovation, and productivity in tech-driven organizations. As India's digital economy grows, so do the stressors unique to the sector: rapid scaling, high-performance expectations, blurred work-life boundaries, and silent burnout. Yet despite increasing awareness, many tech professionals in India still hesitate to speak up or seek support.

This article explores how early detection, empathetic workplace culture, and practical tools can bridge the gap between awareness and meaningful action. For tech leaders, it offers a path forward that balances care with business impact.
 

Understanding the Mental Health Gap in Tech

While mental health issues are common across industries, the high-pressure environment of Indian tech workplaces often keeps them hidden. The drive to perform, stay "always on," and meet aggressive delivery goals can mask early warning signs. According to Poddar & Chhajer (BMC Public Health, 2024), 75% of employees in India fear disclosing mental health concerns at work due to stigma or the risk of professional setbacks.

In many tech firms, mental health support remains reactive. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are available but underutilized—with usage rates in India as low as 5–10% (Meditopia). Many employees don’t engage until a crisis hits, missing the opportunity for early, preventive support. This highlights the need for more accessible, everyday tools that integrate mental health into the fabric of workplace culture.
 

What Prevents People from Speaking Up?

Even when companies offer support, several barriers stop employees from opening up:

  • Fear of impact on promotions or roles: Employees often believe speaking about mental health will alter how they’re perceived, especially in competitive environments.

  • Lack of confidentiality: Some worry that disclosures won’t be kept private or could circulate informally.

  • Cultural stigma: In many Indian households and communities, mental health still carries shame, leading professionals to stay silent.

To move past these barriers, organizations must focus on trust, empathy, and structure.
 

Encouraging Disclosure: What Actually Helps

Research by Roberge et al. (2020) suggests several factors that make employees more willing to talk about mental health:

1. Psychological Safety: People share only when they feel safe, when it’s clear that their identity will be protected and their role won’t be at risk.

2. Perceived Social Support: Strong relationships with managers and peers create confidence to reach out. Employees are more open when they know they won’t be judged or isolated.

3. Storytelling That Builds Trust: Sharing real examples of recovery or support from within the company reduces stigma. When leadership and colleagues speak openly, it signals that mental health conversations are not only allowed—they’re welcomed.
 

Training That Builds Culture: A Preventive Approach to Mental Health

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and counseling services are essential components of any workplace mental health framework. They provide crucial support—especially when individuals are ready to seek help. However, to build a truly responsive and psychologically safe culture, we also need everyday sensitivity and shared responsibility across teams.

That’s where a preventive, awareness-based approach becomes important. Structured training programs can equip employees—not just HR—with the tools to recognize signs of distress, have supportive conversations, and guide peers toward appropriate resources. This doesn’t replace professional care—it complements it by creating a more responsive and informed workplace.
 

Key Strategies for Tech Leaders

1. Invest in Awareness That Sticks

Mental health education should go beyond one-off webinars. Consider integrating:

  • Certification-based training for team leads

  • Practical, scenario-based workshops relevant to tech environments

  • Self-paced content hosted on internal learning platforms

2. Move from Policy to Practice

Policies matter, but everyday culture is shaped by what people experience:

  • Create peer support networks

  • Include mental health check-ins in team rituals like stand-ups or retrospectives

  • Ensure resources are visible, accessible, and normalized year-round

3. Equip Managers, Not Just HR

Managers are often the first to notice when something’s off. Strengthen their capacity by:

  • Offering practical mental health response training

  • Establishing clear escalation pathways

  • Allowing flexibility for mental health-related needs and accommodations

4. Lead from the Top

When leaders speak openly about stress, pressure, or their own self-care, it sets the tone:

  • Begin open conversations at all-hands or leadership meetings

  • Sponsor wellness programs and participate actively

  • Track and respond to indicators such as burnout-related leave or declining engagement

5. Build Human-Centered Policies

Move beyond compliance to policies that are aligned with real employee needs:

  • Include clear protocols for mental health leave

  • Safeguard confidentiality and psychological safety

  • Integrate mental health into DEI and ESG goals
     

A Call to India’s Tech Employers

Mental health can no longer remain an invisible issue within India’s tech sector. With innovation and high performance at the core of the industry, challenges like burnout, stress, and emotional fatigue must be recognized not as personal shortcomings, but as shared workplace experiences.

It’s time to strengthen our approach where awareness efforts are paired with meaningful action, and where both preventive and responsive measures are integrated into everyday work culture. This means creating spaces where people feel safe to speak up, where early signs are noticed, and where support is available without stigma or delay.

Structured, evidence-based training models are one way organizations can begin fostering this kind of environment where mental health is not just a personal responsibility, but a collective priority.

Because when emotional well-being is actively supported, creativity is sustained, collaboration deepens, and organizations lead not just through performance—but through care.
 


Reference: Poddar, A., Chhajer, R. Detection and disclosure of workplace mental health challenges: an exploratory study from India. BMC Public Health, 24, 1874 (2024).

Suggested Reading: Roberge M-É, Abbasy MRUH, Huang WR, Lavoie S. (2020). Disclosure of Mental Health Challenges in Workplaces.

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