Elfina Health · Research Report · June 2026

The Performance
of Being Fine

How Indian Men Navigate
Stress, Silence & Support

200 urban Indian men
Ages 18–54
13 questions
Online survey · India
Why We Did This

This wasn't about proving that men struggle.

It was about understanding what they're carrying — and creating a shared place to begin the conversation. We spoke to 200 urban Indian men. What came back was more honest than we expected.

What they carried
Uncertain future Most common
Financial pressure
Work & career
Relationships

Relative prevalence across survey respondents. Full breakdown in the report.

A Few Things We Couldn't Ignore
0 %

Felt responsible for solving their problems alone

0 %

Said "I'm fine" when they weren't — because it felt easier

0 %

Said stress was quietly reshaping how they showed up in life

0%

Sought professional support when life got difficult. The remaining 83% found other ways.

"When life became difficult, most men didn't reach out. They kept themselves busy. They waited for it to pass."

The remaining 83% found other ways

Spoke openly 24%
Kept it to themselves 76%

Had never talked to a close friend about what they were really going through.

1 in 3

Had thought seriously about speaking to a therapist. But hadn't. Something always got in the way.

What the data revealed
Four things we didn't expect.
01

Work wasn't the cause. It was the escape.

When stress peaked, 7 in 10 turned to work — not rest, not connection. Productivity became the most socially acceptable way to disappear into oneself.

In the report
02

The closer the person, the harder to tell.

Men found it easier to hint at struggles with acquaintances than to say anything directly to close friends or family. Proximity created a different kind of pressure.

In the report
03

Awareness isn't the barrier.

Most men knew therapy existed. Most had even considered it. The gap wasn't knowledge — it was something harder to name. The report goes looking for it.

In the report
04

Many couldn't name what they were feeling.

They knew something was wrong. They felt it physically, socially, in their sleep. But a large portion of men had no language for it. The feeling existed. The words didn't.

In the report
"
I don't know who I'd even call. Everyone has their own problems. I just… handle it.

Survey respondent · Age 31

Why This Matters

None of this
is inevitable.

Some of it is already changing. The data doesn't just describe a problem — it points toward possibilities, if we're willing to take them seriously.

Build awareness

The silence is partly sustained by the assumption that everyone else is coping fine. The data says otherwise.

Reduce stigma

Not through campaigns, but through honest conversations. The kind that start with numbers and end with recognition.

Make access easier

"Go find a therapist" isn't simple. It requires trust, information, and the right person. That gap is worth closing.

What would change if men felt as comfortable asking for help as they do offering it?

About the Research
200
Urban Indian
men surveyed
13
Questions
asked
18–54
Age range
covered
Jun '26
Online survey
India
Indicative sample
Not nationally
representative
Full Report

There's more
to the story.

This page is only a glimpse. Download the full report to explore complete findings, deeper patterns, respondent voices and recommendations.

About Elfina Health

The right therapist changes everything.

Elfina Health helps people find therapists who are genuinely right for them — not just available, but matched to how they think, what they're carrying and what they need from the relationship.

Finding a therapist and finding the right therapist are two very different things.

Visit Elfina health

"The right match isn't a luxury. It's what determines whether therapy works at all."

Elfina Health

Elfina Health · June 2026

The Performance
of Being Fine

How Indian Men Navigate
Stress, Silence & Support

200 urban Indian men Ages 18–54 13 questions Online · India
Why We Did This

This wasn't about proving that men struggle.

It was about understanding what they're carrying — and creating a shared place to begin the conversation. We spoke to 200 urban Indian men. What came back was more honest than we expected.

What they carried
Uncertain future Most common
Financial pressure
Work & career
Relationships

Relative prevalence. Full breakdown in the report.

A Few Things We Couldn't Ignore
0 %

Felt responsible for solving their problems alone — without reaching out to anyone.

0 %

Said "I'm fine" when they weren't — because it simply felt easier than explaining.

0 %

Said stress was quietly reshaping how they showed up — at work, at home, in relationships.

Finding 04
0%

Sought professional support when life got difficult. The remaining 83% found other ways.

"When life became difficult, most men didn't reach out. They kept themselves busy. They waited for it to pass."

The remaining 83% found other ways

The Silence
Spoke openly 24%
Kept it to themselves 76%

Had never talked to a close friend about what they were really going through.

1 in 3

Had thought seriously about speaking to a therapist. But hadn't. Something always got in the way.

What the data revealed

Four things we didn't expect · swipe to explore

01

Work wasn't the cause. It was the escape.

When stress peaked, 7 in 10 turned to work — not rest, not connection. Productivity became the most acceptable way to disappear.

In the report
02

The closer the person, the harder to tell.

Men found it easier to hint at struggles with acquaintances than to say anything directly to close friends or family. Proximity created a different kind of pressure.

In the report
03

Awareness isn't the barrier.

Most men knew therapy existed. Most had even considered it. The gap wasn't knowledge — it was something harder to name.

In the report
04

Many couldn't name what they were feeling.

They knew something was wrong. They felt it physically, socially, in their sleep. But many had no language for it — the feeling existed, the words didn't.

In the report
"
I don't know who I'd even call. Everyone has their own problems. I just… handle it.

Survey respondent · Age 31

Why This Matters

None of this
is inevitable.

The data doesn't just describe a problem — it points toward possibilities, if we're willing to take them seriously.

Build awareness

The silence is partly sustained by the assumption that everyone else is coping fine. The data says otherwise.

Reduce stigma

Not through campaigns, but through honest conversations — the kind that start with numbers and end with recognition.

Make access easier

"Go find a therapist" isn't simple. It requires trust, information, and the right person. That gap is worth closing.

What would change if men felt as comfortable asking for help as they do offering it?

About the Research
200
Urban Indian
men surveyed
13
Questions
asked
18–54
Age range
covered
Jun '26
Online survey
India
Indicative sample
Not nationally representative
Full Report

There's more
to the story.

Download the full report for complete findings, deeper patterns, respondent voices and recommendations.

About Elfina Health

The right therapist changes everything.

Elfina Health helps people find therapists who are genuinely right for them — matched to how they think, what they're carrying, and what they need from the relationship.

Finding a therapist and finding the right therapist are two very different things.

"The right match isn't a luxury. It's what determines whether therapy works at all."

Elfina Health

Visit Elfina health