Citing UNICEF’s Changing Childhood Report 2021, India’s latest Economic Survey stated that 19 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in 21 countries self-reported that they often feel depressed or have little interest in doing things. According to the same UNICEF report, 36 per cent of youngsters reported frequently experiencing worry, anxiety or nervousness. In India, NCERT’s Mental Health and Well-being of School Students Survey 2022 showed an increasing prevalence of poor mental health among adolescents, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 11 per cent of students reporting feeling anxious, 14 per cent feeling extreme emotion and 43 per cent experiencing mood swings.

 

These numbers point towards a mental health crisis looming over adolescents and young adults in modern society. For the longest time, mental health was a taboo that received neither the attention nor the conversation it deserved. While this social issue persists, the discourse around mental illnesses and challenges has now found a place in more public as well as private spaces.