According to a World Health Organization report, the state of mental health in youth is at risk
Bangalore, Oct. 22, 2018
By Jignasa Sinha
Some 20 percent of youth in India are likely to experience mental disorders like depression, substance abuse, eating disorder, or schizophrenia. Substance abuse and depression are the two most prevalent disorders in youth today.
In North India (Punjab), three out of every four children are addicted to drugs. This leads to suicidal behavior, increase in crime and mortality. In metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi; 12.5 percent of children used illegal drugs. This percentage owes its credit to the statistics indicating that 75 percent of Indian families have one member who uses drugs. .
Depression is rising in India, with 57 million people suffering from it This is not only restricted to people facing poverty but also people from different strains of life. The problem lies with the Indian culture, where stigma and discrimination are common against mental health issues. This often leads to isolation of people from society.
To combat all several mental health issues, programmes are conducted by several institutes, both worldwide and in India. The WHO has proposed a Mental Health Atlas project to create awareness about mental disorders, their treatment, and to prevent mortality amongst youth.
In India, many institutes like the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore participate in helping youth become aware of mental health and fight the stigma surrounding them.
Youth Pro Action Lab conference is one such event. It’s an annual event conducted by NIMHANS in where everybody can participate and share, learn and act upon their mental fitness.
