Women at India Inc 3x more likely than men to seek mental health support: Report

Women, comprising only a quarter of the workforce, account for over half of mental health consultations, finds a new survey.

Their usage rate (11.88%) is nearly three times higher than that of men (4.24%), demonstrating greater willingness among women to seek support, according to the Wellbeing Index at India Inc report by ekincare, an AI-powered digital health platform.

The report, which draws insights from over 45,000 employees across 90+ companies and 15+ sectors, finds that Gen Z Is breaking the stigma–employees aged 19–30 show the highest engagement, with a usage rate of 9.22%. This reflects a clear generational shift towards openness and acceptance of mental health support.

Further, personal stress drives most consultations–out of 2,095 mental health cases reported, over half were linked to personal or emotional stress rather than workplace pressures, emphasising the need for holistic mental wellness approaches.

The healthcare and pharma sectors showed the greatest engagement, likely due to increased awareness and stress levels.

Employees aged 46 and above have the lowest usage rate at just 1.62%, suggesting lingering stigma or insufficient outreach among this demographic.“Mental health is no longer a peripheral conversation–it has become central to how organisations build trust, foster engagement, and sustain performance,” said Noel Coutinho, cofounder and chief business officer at ekincare. “While access to support services has certainly improved, their true impact depends on something deeper: organisational culture, leadership behaviour, and the ability to create psychologically safe environments.”It’s not enough to simply offer resources, companies need to normalise their use and ensure employees feel genuinely comfortable seeking support, he added.

The report highlighted that while access to mental health services has improved, this alone is insufficient. Organisations must actively work to reduce stigma and create an environment that encourages open conversations–an effort that requires strong commitment from top management to normalise mental health discussions. Tailored strategies are also necessary to engage employees across all age groups.