Incidence of depression and anxiety among working men and women: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey in Indian call centers

Employee mental well-being, supported by a positive work environment is crucial to enhancing firm productivity and sustaining long-term growth. However, research on the mental well-being of working populations in developing countries remains limited. This study examines the mental health status and key predictors of depression and anxiety in working men and women in India, one of the world’s most populous countries. For this, we collected quantitative data from 2,698 individuals using self-administered online surveys. We used bivariate and multivariate regressions to analyze the predictors of depression and anxiety in working men and women. We also used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method to assess the association between gender and depression and anxiety. Finally, we assessed the role of personal stressors, work stressors, use of social media and siblings to understand the gender differences in anxiety and depression using OLS regression methods. Around 23% of female and 17% of male workers in our sample reported symptoms of either depression or anxiety, or both. Key predictors of mental health issues of the working population in the call centers included younger age, financial difficulties and, conflicts with supervisors, with additional mental health predictors of experience of domestic violence, unmarried status, and lack of siblings for women. Our regression results suggest that women in our sample exhibited 0.13 standard deviations higher depression and 0.26 standard deviations higher anxiety than men. Furthermore, women experiencing high personal and work-related stress, along with frequent social media use, reported the highest levels of depression and anxiety. Lastly, we find that relative to men without siblings, men with siblings report lower depression levels, and women without siblings report higher anxiety. These insights underscore the need for targeted interventions to support the mental health of working populations, particularly among women in developing contexts.