‘Informal Counsellors’ in the Factory: Experiences from Workplace Mental Health Trainings in South India

Access to mental health in India is limited due to a shortage of professionals, societal stigma, and social inequities. Female workers in the manufacturing industry might be particularly affected. The provision of workplace mental health services through trained professionals may not always be feasible. Hence, we aimed to train selected factory employees on informal counseling services. We collected the initial case histories handled by trained workplace’s informal counsellors among the predominantly female workforce of 4 garment manufacturing plants in South India. A thematic analysis addressed how the workers accessed these services. Workers utilised the ‘informal counsellors’ services. The main issues were marital problems, workplace issues, and interpersonal issues leading to stress and anxiety. Even though the workers were initially hesitant, they opened up to the counsellors who were equipped with skills such as active listening, a non-judgmental attitude, and empathy. Challenges encountered included addressing stigma, balancing mental health services alongside production, and the dilemma about whether to intervene or not. Family, social, and occupational stress factors can disrupt workers’ mental well-being, which in turn affects productivity at work and Society as a whole. The female workforce is particularly vulnerable to these issues. Training informal workplace counsellors to address stress and mental health issues among colleagues could be beneficial for workers and employers alike.