To begin with, with 1.236 billion inhabitants, India is the second most populous country in the world. In this huge population, every fifth person is an adolescent between the ages of 10 and 19, and every third person is between the ages of 10 and 24. Such a working young population can be beneficial to the country and contribute to the growth and development of the nation.
Besides, such progress can be expected and provided that the health of children and adolescents – both physical and mental – is prioritized in the political arena. While the focus on infant and under-five mortality, immunization and nutrition have contributed to overall improvements in physical health, there is little emphasis on child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) in India.
50 million children suffer
Subsequently, at any given time, nearly 50 million Indian children suffer from mental disorders, and this number will increase when the adolescent population is also considered.
In addition, it is estimated that about 9.8 million Indians aged 13–17 years suffer from a serious mental illness, which would be higher if the entire childhood and adolescence age spectrum is considered.
psychiatric disorders outweigh other non-communicable diseases and can account for up to 4% of the gross national product, of which almost 2% goes to the treatment of mentally ill people.
Moreover, children in India appear reluctant to seek support for mental stress, according to a survey conducted by UNICEF and Gallup in early 2021 of 20,000 children and adults in 21 countries. Only 41 percent of young people aged 15-24 in India said it was good to get support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 percent across the 21 countries.
Roles of organizations
Besides, a great responsibility rests on the teacher to be able to recognize any minor changes in the student’s behaviour in the classroom. Recognizing the signs of a possible crisis, such as depressed mood, violent behaviour, suicidal thoughts, etc., should be the first priority.
Meanwhile, in such cases, leaving room for such emotional expression—that is, allowing the child to feel his emotions without any judgment—allows the child to learn self-regulation.
