New Delhi:
People who rarely consume ultra-processed or packaged junk food have better mental well-being than those who regularly do so, stated the pre-budget Economic Survey on Friday citing the findings of a study.
It also stated that those who rarely exercise, spend their free time on social media or are not close to their families have worse mental health.
The survey report tabled in Parliament underscored that if India’s economic ambitions are to be met, then immediate attention must be given to lifestyle choices that are often made during childhood or youth.
Furthermore, hostile work cultures and excessive hours spent working at the desk can adversely affect mental well-being and ultimately put the brakes on the pace of economic growth, the economic survey said citing the study done by the Sapien Labs Centre for Human Brain and Mind.
The survey noted that spending long hours at one’s desk is detrimental to mental well-being and individuals who spend 12 or more hours daily at a desk have distressed or struggling levels of mental well-being.
Citing the study, the survey said better lifestyle choices, workplace cultures and family relationships are associated with two-three fewer days lost per month at work. Having poor relationships with managers and low (worst) pride and purpose at work are associated with the largest increases in the number of days one is unable to work, it said.
“The increase in mental health issues in children and adolescents is often linked to the overuse of the Internet and, specifically, social media,” the report said highlighting that while interventions at the government level are being contemplated, there is an urgent need for school and family-level interventions to encourage healthy pastimes such as meeting with friends and playing outside.
It advocated investing time in building close family bonds while stating that it would go a long way towards keeping children and adolescents away from the Internet and improving mental well-being. “In many ways, returning to our roots may allow us to reach further for the skies in terms of mental health.” The report mentions that Jonathan Haidt’s book ‘The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Children is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness’, which has now been voted as the book of the year by Goodreads, provides a researched assessment of adolescent mental health.
“He suggests that the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” is rewiring the very experience of growing up. The recent announcements by the government of Australia to ban the use of social media by children below 16 years of age is a testimony to the gravity of the situation,” the report said.
Similar interventions are being discussed in Sweden and Spain, as per news reports, the survey report said.
“Given the direct costs to human welfare and the spirit and sentiment of the nation, putting mental well-being at the centre of the economic agenda is prudent.
“Post-facto treatment will not be sufficient. It is about time to find viable, impactful preventive strategies and interventions. India’s demographic dividend is riding on skills, education, physical health and, above all, mental health of its youth,” the economic survey report stated.
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