Answer

Mental health issues among children in India are increasingly being recognised as a “silent epidemic”, with rising cases of anxiety, depression, and behavioural disorders. The UNICEF State of the World’s Children Report (2021) estimated that one in seven Indian adolescents suffers from mental health issues, often going undiagnosed and untreated. The lack of play, excessive screen time, academic stress, and societal expectations have deepened this crisis.

Causes of Rising Mental Health Concerns Among Children in India

• Academic Pressure and Competitive Environment: The education system emphasizes marks, rankings, and early career success, often at the cost of emotional well-being.
• Excessive Screen Time and Social Media Exposure: Increased digital consumption leads to sleep disruption, low self-esteem, and exposure to cyberbullying.
• Parenting Stress and Unrealistic Expectations: Parents often project their aspirations on children, ignoring their emotional needs and individuality.
• Peer Comparison and Isolation: Social comparison, both online and offline, leads to identity issues, fear of failure, and self-doubt.
• Inadequate Mental Health Infrastructure in Schools: Most schools lack full-time counsellors or access to mental health professionals.
  For example: India needs 15 lakh counsellors for 315 million students.
• Lack of Awareness and Stigma Around Mental Health: Cultural taboos and misinformation prevent children and parents from seeking timely help.
  For example: As per UNICEF report, only 41% of young people aged 15 to 24 in India saying it is helpful to seek help for mental health concerns. 

Challenges of Silent Mental Health Epidemic Among Children

• Lack of Early Diagnosis and Screening Mechanisms: Most schools and health systems do not have regular psychological assessments, leading to undetected mental health conditions.
• Shortage of Trained Mental Health Professionals: India faces a severe scarcity of child psychologists, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
  For example: WHO recommends 1 psychiatrist per 10,000 people; India has only 0.29 per 100,000 (as per Ministry of Health, 2022), with even fewer trained in child psychology.
• Stigma and Cultural Barriers to Seeking Help: Mental health is still associated with shame, leading to denial and delay in treatment by families and communities.
• Underfunded School Mental Health Infrastructure: Most schools lack full-time counsellors or mental wellness rooms, especially in government institutions.
• Neglect in Policy Implementation and Monitoring: Although schemes like Manodarpan and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram exist, implementation lacks urgency and proper review.
• Insufficient Data and Research on Child Mental Health: Lack of disaggregated data limits evidence-based policymaking and targeted interventions.
  

Policy-Level and Societal Interventions to Address Mental Health Issues Among Children

• Integration of Mental Health in School Curriculum: Include emotional well-being, mindfulness, and stress management in textbooks and co-curricular activities.
  For example: The NCERT 2023 guidelines now recommend age-appropriate mental health education across all school levels.
• National Adolescent Mental Health Programme: Expand the Manodarpan initiative under NEP 2020 with dedicated funds, digital counselling platforms, and helplines.
• Parental Counselling and Sensitisation Programmes: Conduct workshops for parents on emotional needs, screen time control, and reducing academic pressure.
  For example: Delhi Government’s Happiness Curriculum includes parent-teacher workshops focused on child empathy and mental health awareness.
• Promotion of Play-Based Learning and Physical Activity: Enforce daily play and physical education in schools as per NEP recommendations.
• Leveraging Digital Tools for Counselling and Early Detection: Develop AI-powered chatbots, mobile apps, and virtual platforms for anonymous reporting and emotional support.
  For example: iWill by ePsyClinic is a mobile platform offering mental wellness counselling with increasing adolescent user base across urban India.
• Public Awareness Campaigns to Destigmatise Mental Health: Run sustained multimedia campaigns involving influencers, health professionals, and youth icons.
  For example: UNICEF India’s #OnMyMind campaign (2022) collaborated with schools to spark conversations on teen mental health nationwide.

Mental health is foundational to a child’s development and lifelong productivity. India must treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves by adopting a multi-stakeholder, prevention-oriented and child-centric approach that balances education with emotional well-being and play.

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