People in Indonesia most likely to say the pandemic has adversely impacted their mental health

Those aged 45 to 54 most affected

While the world battled with Covid-19 over the past two years, physical health was not the only pillar of well-being that took a toll. An international YouGov survey from October 2021 found that six in ten Indonesian residents (63%) say that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health. This is not only up from five in ten (57%) who said the same in 2020, but also the greatest proportion of people to say that their mental health has suffered among the 17 surveyed markets.

The study – conducted among more than 19,000 people – also found that on a global level, unsurprisingly, people are more likely to say that the pandemic has had a negative effect on their mental health (55%) than a positive (10%) or neutral one (30%). This however is especially so for people in Asia, with Indonesia (63%), India (62%), China (62%) and Singapore (61%) having the highest proportion of respondents across the surveyed markets to say that their mental health has been adversely impacted. The final Asian market, Hong Kong, ranks eighth on this list, with almost six in ten citing a negative mental impact (57%).

Looking back at the results for Indonesia, the study additionally found that those aged 45-54 are most likely to say that their mental health has taken a toll (69%). Those aged 18-24 are next most likely to feel this way, with more than six in ten agreeing their mental health has suffered (66%).

Comparing against the results from the 2020 iteration of the study, Indonesia also saw the second biggest increase in the proportion of people who say that their mental health has suffered a negative impact, with a jump from over five in ten (58%) to six in ten (63%). Singapore accounted for the largest increase, with an increase in 6% (55% in 2020 to 61% in 2021).

On the other hand, European countries Sweden, France, Denmark and Poland saw the greatest decline in the proportion of people who say that their mental health has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, with Sweden seeing the most substantial fall from five in ten (55%) to four in ten (45%).

Methodology:

Interviews were conducted online between 2 – 11 November 2020 among 21,901 adults, and between 20 September – 1 October 2021 among 19,114 adults.