Money worries taking a toll? 4 in every 5 urban Indians feel stressed over it, finds survey

Survey update: The recent India Health Quotient survey reveals that a significant amount of the urban population bears chronic stress due to financial burdens and turbulence in their lives. According to the report, the majority of them suffer the stressful situation of a " health debt trap".

The India Health Quotient survey finds that financial stress is the most significant threat to the health of urban population in India; the report addresses the facade of superficial health among Indians while being completely stressed and mentally exhausted.

What is the health debt trap?

According to the survey, the health debt trap refers to a situation where the pursuit of financial stability leads to stress, leading to an adverse effect on both physical and mental health. This ends up looping them in an unending cycle of stress, financial burden and debt.

Who are health trap debtors?

More than 80 % of the urban population is reported to suffer from stress, from which a small section of the population is marked in the category of poor health. An interesting angle of the report depicts that young Indians are most financially and emotionally burdened among the population. They showed chronic symptoms of mental, emotional and financial stress among all groups.

What is the health score of India?

According to the report, the total health score of India is 65, including fairly strong physical health. In contrast, the report points out that financial miseries cause the lowest rank in financial well-being. The key factor in the deteriorating score is the rising burden of economic pressure in day-to-day life.

Survey finds a shift

A gradual shift among the population can be decoded among respondents, as physical health and mental health are considered the same. This change could be caused by more participation of younger generations, as more than 50 per cent of younger Indians, including in the age of 25-34 preffered to have poor physical health rather than poor mental health.

High health care costs?

According to the report, victims of the health debt trap try to seek better financial stability. When exhausted from mental fatigue and stress, people often go for high health care costs, which end up making them more stressed and cornered with financial debts, the survey found. The rising demand for health care products and services has led to an increase in their prices and costs.

Why choose superficially healthy?

According to the report, a major faction of people chooses to maintain a life full of financial ignorance, leading them to end up in debt. Choosing literacy and awareness rather than being burdened with stress can save chunks of money as well as from debt.