GUWAHATI, April 30 - Residents of Guwahati have exhibited maximum resilience and mental wellbeing during the COVID 19-induced lockdown.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by TRA Research across 16 cities with 902 urban citizens to delve deeper into the mental wellbeing of citizens, Guwahatians showed the highest mental wellbeing (84 per cent) in their ability to cope with their current worries of family health and work stability as well as their fears on the country�s health and economic impact.
Mumbai recorded the lowest mental wellbeing index at just 28 per cent, showing severe stresses and anxieties among the citizenry, followed by Lucknow at 36 per cent.
Guwahati was followed by Delhi-NCR (78 per cent) which had the second best mental wellbeing score. Other cities which displayed a �Good� ability mental wellbeing of their citizens include Indore (75 per cent), Coimbatore (73 per cent) and Pune (72 per cent).
N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, a consumer insights and brand analytics company, explaining the concept said that citizens� mental wellbeing in the context of the research was seen as their ability to cope with current worries regarding the pandemic.
�The ability to cope with worries depends on the individual�s mindset of course, but also depends on the city�s general acceleration rate in patients, as also the city�s complex demographics that may impede coping with the pandemic. The rapid spread in Mumbai, with the highest number of COVID-19 patients, is also reflected in the low mental wellbeing of its citizens with regard to coping with the disease,� he added.
The mental wellbeing index has been calculated with the coping index as the numerator and the worry index as the denominator, measured as a percentage, and the coping index was measured on four parameters and the worry index on six.
Dr Jalpa Bhuta, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist, practising at Global Hospital and Hinduja Khar, said that coping skills were determined by one�s resilience, attitude, belief system and support system.
�It is reassuring that most of the people in smaller cities are coping better with good mental wellbeing. In the larger cities there could be many factors responsible like worry on account of stability of work. When our identity is determined by our career and earning capacities, people can feel at a total loss when that may get impacted. Relationships are also getting fragile in bigger cities, giving poor interpersonal support, which is much needed for a sense of mental wellbeing,� she said.
On the difference in cities, Chandramouli further elaborated, �The smaller cities have a relatively higher mental wellbeing index as compared to the larger ones. Guwahati, Jaipur, Indore, Pune, Coimbatore are coping better with the situation than their counterparts in cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.�
Dr Bhuta suggested attitudinal alterations to cope. �It is important for all of us to find peace within ourselves, develop a more spiritual and accepting attitude, learn to deal with change and embrace the higher power during difficult times.�
