Prevalence and Factors of Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout Among App-Based Food Delivery Riders in Tamil Nadu: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: The rapid growth in the food delivery industry, driven by changing consumer habits and technology, has created job opportunities for gig riders, including food delivery riders.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and burnout and assess the associated factors among app-based food delivery riders in Tamil Nadu.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 app-based male food delivery riders in Tamil Nadu. The data were collected from June to July 2023 using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and Oldenburg Inventory Burnout (OLBI) Scale to estimate the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and burnout, respectively.

Results: The prevalence of low/medium and high burnout was 89.2% and 10.8%, respectively; the prevalence of moderate and moderate-severe/severe anxiety was 23.7% and 12.5%, respectively; and the prevalence of moderate and moderate-severe/severe depression was 26.8% and 16.2%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression showed that monthly income (AOR 2.57) and severe depression (AOR 2.87) are significantly associated with burnout. Monthly income (AOR 3.18), burnout (AOR 2.52), and severe depression (AOR 7.35) are significantly associated with anxiety. Similarly, dehydration (AOR 3.16), place of work (AOR 3.18), burnout (AOR 2.57), and severe anxiety (AOR 6.87) are significantly associated with depression.

Conclusions: The study underscores the urgent need for industry-wide interventions and support strategies to address the mental well-being of food delivery riders.