Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health Among the Youth of India

The restrictions due to the pandemic have impacted mental health worldwide. The pandemic instigated health and financial pressure on everyone. The research aims to analyse the impact of the lockdown and pandemic on the mental health of the youth in India, understand the reasons behind it and try to examine whether it should be continued after the lockdown. The study also seeks to understand whether the government response to the distress created mentally by the coronavirus pandemic has been adequate or not. This study is based on primary data collected from the youth of tier-one cities in India, using web-based surveys, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews. Through the research, variables that impact mental health have been identified, which include sleep patterns, generalized anxiety, screen time, social media usage, life satisfaction, work pressure, the environment at home, work satisfaction, sense of productivity, physical activities, and interpersonal conflicts. There has been an inadequate promotion of the initiatives undertaken by the government, leading to unawareness of these schemes. The research observed, an increased work pressure, screen time, and generalized anxiety, and a decrease in work satisfaction, productivity, sleep time, and personal space. This research is essential to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of mental health deterioration and to come up with methods to help curb these problems in the long run. The research, however, has shortcomings including small sample size, and an under-representation of the marginalized income group.