8287807 Mental health status, knowledge, and barriers to care seeking among female tea plantation workers: A comparative study of local and migrant populations

<h3>Objective</h3> Women constitute the majority of the workforce in the tea plantation industry and face distinct occupational and social challenges affecting their mental health. This study evaluates the mental health status, mental health literacy and barriers to seeking mental health care between local and migrant women workers in selected tea plantations across South India. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> This cross-sectional study was conducted among 257 female tea plantation workers (179 (69.6%) local workers, 78 (30.4%) migrant workers. Data included socio-demographic details, mental health literacy, barriers to accessing care and mental health outcomes were assessed using tools for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and alcohol use disorder (AUDIT). Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and mental health outcomes. Mann-Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests were employed for between-group comparisons, while Binary logistic regression models identified factors associated with depression and anxiety. <h3>Results</h3> Local women were older (median age 43 years vs. 32 years, p&lt;0.001), less educated (median 5 years vs. 7 years, p=0.031), likely to report chronic illnesses (57.6% vs. 27.3%, p=0.011) compared to migrant women. Depression (PHQ&gt;4) was identified in 19.2% of local and 18.2% of migrant women (p=0.91), while anxiety (GAD&gt;4) prevalence was 18.5% among locals and 27.3% among migrants (p=0.41). The barriers to seeking mental healthcare were: illness related knowledge barriers, access barriers and attitudinal barriers. Female workers, unmarried workers and those living alone in the plantations reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, as measured by the PHQ-9 in binomial logistic regression analysis. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Female tea plantation workers experience significant mental health concerns, particularly depression and anxiety, compounded by low mental health literacy and substantial access barriers. The involvement of non-specialist healthcare providers, through task shifting and training of community members is a viable solution to the shortage of mental health professionals at the plantations. Gender-sensitive mental health interventions addressing these challenges are urgently needed to support this underserved population.