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The impact of Covid-19 outbreak was not just on the health and economy of the people of Thailand but also on the mental health of nearly 80% of the Thai population, a research study showed.
The research conducted by Mintel, showed that the Covid-19 outbreak had deteriorated the mental health of the Thais from all walks of life.
A new study conducted by a global market research firm Mintel showed that approximately 8 in 10 Thais have experienced a mental health problem in the past six months, with the top three being stress (46%), insomnia (32%), and anxiety (28%).
To make matters worse, the big impact has been on the growing population of Generation Z (born between 1997 to 2012), who have had to bear a brunt of isolation during an age when they were supposed to be enjoying time with their friends.
The research found that work and study (48%) affected Gen-Z, particularly those aged 18-24 years old, in addition, this finding indicated that people in this age group felt most lonely (38%) when compared to other older generations such as Millennials (26%) and Gen X (15%). Millennials are those born between 1981-1996 while Gen X are born between 1965-1980.
The study further stated that peer pressure from friends (33%) and social media (25%) were both contributing challenging factors to their mental health.
Wilasinee Siribunpipattana, the Senior Lifestyle Research Analyst at Mintel Reports Thailand, said that according to their research, more than a third of young Thais said they lacked self-confidence and has certain psychological conditions such as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
These conditions arise from the effort in creating a “perfect” life image on social media from seeing their favorite figures, influencers, or people they know personally have what they don’t really have.
This creates pressure to live up to the standards set by others. Wilasinee told that various brands can help make the situation better with campaigns that drive and encourage these young demographics to feel self-satisfied.
Women are More Stressed Than Men
Almost a third (31%) of Thai women aged 18-34 said they felt burnt out compared to men of the same age (17%).
This is a direct cause of the fact that women valued work and education, thus, uncertainty in planning for the future and financial responsibility situations are key factors affecting the mental health of these people.
Wilasinee said women aged 18-34 were likely to deal with and take responsibility for work, household issues, job security, and marriage considerations, according to their new research about women’s lifestyle.
Therefore, these women want to maintain a work-life balance and a healthy life both physically and mentally, and brands can target this group of consumers, especially those with busy lifestyles by providing products and services that will relieve their psychological stress and enable them to pursue healthy activities.
Sleep Deprivation Affects All Generations
The Mintel research revealed that approximately 35% of Gen Z and Millennials have experienced insomnia, while with Gen X it is at 28%.
Wilasinee concluded that, as Thais have sleep problems, brands are able to leverage new technology to offer products or services that could detect sleep patterns and provide other health benefits.
Thai Enquirer had run a story on the impact on mental health on July 14, 2022