Mahavir Singh, 27, had everything going for him. A high-paying job with a BPO company and engaged to be married to his sweetheart. Then, suddenly, the pink slip thunderbolt struck.

Singh, who did his MBA in the US, lost not just his job but also his girlfriend, who opted to marry someone else - who had a steady job.

Depressed, Singh tried to hang himself.

Samir Chawla, working in a private firm in Noida, saw his colleagues one by one being told to leave. While he is happy he still has his job, his anxiety is of a different kind.

His working hours have been increased, like those of the remaining employees, to compensate for the numbers sacked. The long working hours and the fear of being the next to be axed have taken a toll on his mental health.

To get over his anxiety he has picked up the habit of smoking and drinking.

Singh and Chawla are just two examples of how the global meltdown has affected hundreds - people have either lost their jobs or their salaries have been slashed.

The resultant depression, anxiety, stress and sleeping disorders are sending many people to seek medical help.

Mahavir Singh was taken to a psychiatrist by his father.

"He has slowly come out of his depression and has started looking for jobs. But it will take him some time to get back his self esteem because of the dual blow," said M.S. Bhatia, professor and head of department (psychiatry) at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital.

"We are every day seeing people whose lives have been turned topsy-turvy due to the recession. Youngsters are literally living in fear of being jobless," Singh told IANS.

Most of the people who seek medical help belong to the middle or upper middle class. "They have either taken a car loan or a home loan. Many find it difficult to sleep or could be suffering from psychosomatic problems like acidity, headache. Some even complain of psycho-sexual problems," he said.