Moving beyond DSM5 and ICD11: Acoustic analysis for psychological stress on daily-wage workers in India during COVID19

Abstract Aim To observe psychological stress in the acoustic samples of daily-wage workers belonging to different states in India. Method The study was based on the observations obtained from prior work on detecting psychoacoustic detectors of psychological stress. Acoustic samples were obtained from interviews conducted by NDTV throughout March–May 2020. Spectrogram and Fundamental Frequency variations were used to identify psychological stress. Results Stark differences existed in mean fundamental frequency plots by daily-wage workers and non-stressed individuals. Distinct density variations were also observed in the acoustic samples between the two groups. Conclusion Psychoacoustic detectors of psychological stress were confirmed in the acoustic samples of daily wage-workers, concluding that daily-wage workers are under dire psychological stress and are susceptible to stress-related disorders.