Coping Strategies and Psychological Well-Being among Indian IT Professionals: A Narrative Review with a Gender Lens
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Information technology (IT) professionals in India work under tight deadlines, long hours, job insecurity and rapid technological change, and Indian studies report substantial levels of stress, depressive symptoms and burnout in this group. How employees cope may help explain why some function well under these conditions while others do not. This narrative review synthesises research on coping strategies and psychological well-being among Indian IT professionals, drawing also on studies of other Indian occupational groups and international technology workers, with particular attention to gender. The evidence shows that approach-oriented strategies such as planning, active coping, positive reframing, acceptance and seeking support are generally associated with better well-being, whereas denial, behavioural disengagement, substance use and self-blame are associated with poorer well-being. Gender findings are inconsistent: some studies report higher stress or burnout among women, while others find no gender difference in depression, anxiety or well-being. Most studies are cross-sectional, use differing measures and were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review identifies the need for strategy-level analysis of coping, gender-balanced samples, research in under-studied IT hubs such as Gurgaon, and longitudinal designs.
Author: Atin Sehgal
Institution: Jain University
Language: English
Topic: Stress and Burnout Research
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7224928104