Nearly one in four corporate employees who book workplace counselling sessions never attend them, according to a new report by digital health benefits platform ekincare, highlighting persistent barriers around mental health support despite rising awareness across corporate India.
The report, titled From Silence to Signal: India Inc.’s Mental Wellness Reckoning (2023–2026), found that 26.6 per cent of employees who scheduled counselling appointments ultimately failed to show up.
The findings are based on analysis of 6,000 counselling sessions booked between 2023 and 2026 across ekincare’s corporate client network.
At the same time, the report showed that engagement with workplace mental health services has risen sharply, with mental wellness utilisation across organisations increasing by 44 per cent since 2023.
The data points to a major behavioural shift in how employees view mental health support at work, particularly among younger professionals and workers in high-pressure industries.
Younger employees driving mental health uptake
The report found that Gen Z employees aged between 20 and 25 recorded the fastest rise in counselling utilisation over the past two years.
According to the study:
- Counselling utilisation among Gen Z employees rose 203 per cent
- Employees aged 31 to 35 recorded a comparatively lower growth rate of 18 per cent
- Workplace mental wellness engagement overall increased 44 per cent since 2023
- Data was drawn from 6,000 counselling sessions across corporate organisations
The findings suggest younger employees are becoming significantly more open to discussing mental health concerns and seeking professional support compared to older workplace demographics.
BFSI sector records sharpest rise in counselling demand
The report also highlighted growing psychological stress across high-pressure industries.
According to ekincare, the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector recorded the highest increase in counselling utilisation among all industries studied.
Key industry trends identified in the report include:
- Counselling utilisation in the BFSI sector surged 408 per cent
- Healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors recorded a 122 per cent rise
- Employees aged 35 and above showed the highest concentration of clinically linked mental health concerns
The report said that 44 per cent of counselling sessions involving employees aged above 35 were connected to anxiety, depression or mood-related conditions.
The findings suggest older employees may be carrying a greater long-term mental health burden despite younger workers driving higher utilisation growth.
Report highlights “articulation gap” among male employees
The study also identified what it described as an “articulation gap” in how employees communicate mental health struggles.
According to the report, men accounted for a larger share of clinically identified anxiety and depression cases than women.
The data showed:
- Men represented 38 per cent of clinically identified anxiety and depression cases
- Women accounted for 32 per cent
However, the report noted that male employees were often less likely to explicitly describe emotional distress in direct clinical terms, instead using broader or less specific language when discussing mental health concerns.
The study suggested this communication gap could make it harder for organisations and healthcare providers to fully assess the scale of workplace mental health issues.
Companies face pressure to improve psychological safety
Commenting on the findings, Dr Noel Coutinho, Co-founder of ekincare, said workplace mental health conversations had changed significantly in recent years.
In remarks included in the report, Coutinho said the earlier challenge for employers had been encouraging employees to use mental health programmes, but organisations were now confronting a different issue around preparedness and support systems.
He added that when employees feel comfortable enough to book counselling sessions but still fail to attend, the issue may extend beyond awareness and point towards deeper concerns around psychological safety in workplaces.
The report also noted that corporate healthcare systems are increasingly becoming a primary access point for mental health support among working adults in India.
Corporate mental health support enters new phase
The findings arrive as companies across India expand investments in employee wellbeing programmes amid rising workplace stress, burnout concerns and changing expectations around mental health support.
Over the past few years, mental health benefits have shifted from being viewed as optional corporate initiatives to becoming a more visible part of employee retention and workplace productivity strategies.
However, the latest data suggests awareness alone may not be enough.
Even as counselling demand rises sharply across sectors and younger employees become more willing to seek help, companies may now face growing pressure to build environments where employees feel safe enough to follow through on accessing mental health support.