Most Mumbaikars suffering from relationship woes: Study

Relationships seem to be the biggest cause of depression, followed by stress related to work and examination. Of the 1,578 calls received by the Vandrevala Foundation between March and May this year, maximum were from people unhappy about relationships.

Picture for representational purposes

While others complained about job-related stress and anxiety, many even showed signs of causing self-harm. Most number of calls were received in March, which is examination time for students as well as appraisal season for those employed.

"Incompatibility between spouses as well as children not sharing a great bond with their parents leads to stress. Sadly, the threshold of tolerance is very low in people these days," said Seema Hingorrany, clinical psychologist, pointing to the growing number of divorce cases of late.

According to statistics, 229 calls were made by people discussing relationships, 105 because they were feeling depressed, 65 discussed work- related stress, 89 complained of stress due to daily activities and 45 calls were from people discussing sexual problems.

Dr Arun John, the executive director of Vandrevala Foundation, said, "In exam-related calls, students complain about not meeting their parents' expectations and cut-throat competition. The worse cases are those who brood over self-assessment. We advise them to accept the results," he says.

Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty the feeling of helplessness pushes people to turn to strangers for support. "There's an increase in the number of people feeling helpless due to social alienation. The helpline, which was originally for people with mental illness, has now become a platform for people to share all kinds of problems. This is a good thing as long as people share their problems and reduce stress," he added.