 "mental health, telemedicine, doctors, therapy")
While more women have opted for teleconsultations, men have preferred in-person consultations with doctors when it comes to mental health issues.
Insurance tech platform Plum revealed in 2023, there has been an increase in mental health consultations, with 55 per cent of teleconsultations being sought by women. In contrast, men have shown a preference for in-person consultations, making up 67 per cent as highlighted by the digital health platform, Practo.
Plum also reported a four-fold increase in telehealth bookings, with young adults aged 21 to 40 accounting for up to 73 per cent of these appointments. In contrast, Practo's data for FY23 revealed an increase of 29 per cent in year on year in-person consultations. Practo data reflected in 2023, an examination of the mental health landscape in various cities revealed that Delhi emerged as the frontrunner, contributing to the largest share of consultations at 35 per cent, followed by Bangalore at 19 per cent, Mumbai at 11 per cent, Hyderabad at 10 per cent, Chennai at 8 per cent, and Pune also at 8 per cent.
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Rahul Chandhok, head consultant-Mental Health & Behavioural Science, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, said, “There are variations in the frequency of teleconsultations between females and males. One possible explanation is that females tend to be more comfortable with teleconsultations. Many independent women are more at ease managing their appointments alone. Earlier also we were having a lot of males coming in more frequently as compared to the females independently coming in. So, with the advent of Tele consultation availability in India since the Covid-19 it has helped us battle the stigma surrounding mental health.”
