Mental illness is on the rise among youth, with 60% of youth under 35 suffering from a mental disorder.:Mental disorders are on the rise among young people in India.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Mental health in India is rapidly deteriorating, especially among young people. According to data from the Indian Psychiatric Society, 60 percent of mental disorders are found in people under 35.

This reflects the increasing pressure on youth, competition, unemployment, societal expectations, and other factors that are contributing to depression, anxiety, and other disorders. 7.3 percent of Indian youth aged 18 and older suffer from mental health problems. However, access to treatment is extremely limited (1 percent).

This indicates that the country is silently moving towards a crisis that is neither visible on the streets nor fully recorded in hospital slips. This is why mental health issues have become a major public health challenge for the country. Experts clearly warn that if concrete steps are not taken in time, this invisible crisis could take a toll on the social and economic health of the country. The National Mental Health Report of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, presented in the Ministry of Health and Parliament

According to UNICEF, the 18-29 year old survey and various medical journals published in 2024-25 are warning that a large population of the country is suffering from mental stress, depression and anxiety disorders, but access to treatment is extremely limited. Survey analysis by NIMHANS has revealed that approximately 7.3 percent of adolescents aged 13 to 17 are suffering from some mental disorder or the other. Competition, exam pressure, social expectations and digital lifestyle are the main reasons for this.

According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), most people do not have access to treatment. This is why the treatment gap is more than 60 percent, while for common mental disorders (depression and anxiety) it is 80 to 85 percent. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, in 2017, 19 crore 73 lakh people (about 14.3 percent of the total population) in India were suffering from mental disorders. Of these, 4.57 crore were cases of depression and 4.49 crore were cases of anxiety disorders.

Currently, this situation has reached alarming levels. The same study found the situation in Delhi and other cities to be more serious. 25.92 percent of Delhi's school-age adolescents were found to be suffering from depression, and 13.70 percent from anxiety. If not addressed promptly, this will impact economic, social, and national development. The government and society must work together to address this crisis so that the younger generation can have the opportunity to live a healthy and positive life.

Most do not believe the disease

According to a study published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems in January 2024 by the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur and Ohio State University, the self-reporting rate of mental illness in the country is less than one percent. Most people do not recognize their mental health problems as illnesses, which prevents them from accessing treatment.