[Answered] “India requires multiple interventions to prevent mental health disorders among adolescents.” Discuss.

Mental health problems and suicide are the leading cause of mortality in young people globally. India is home to the largest number of adolescents in the world. A world changing at a fast pace and further poses a challenge to mental health, especially for the young who are in a formative stage of life. In this background, it is multiple interventions are needed for addressing mental health issues in India.

Issue of rising mental illness:

1. In the last few decades, the world has been changing very fast, especially with the invention of faster modes of transport, ease of migration across countries and the revolutionary developments in information technology (IT). This has brought major challenges to the mental health professionals.
2. The IT revolution has been accompanied by ill effects such as reduced social interaction, physical activities and intimacy and a more sedentary lifestyle. Real life in-person interaction is being increasingly replaced by an artificial sense of intimacy through the social networking platforms.
3. The current day youth spends a substantial time of the day on the internet and is exposed to information implosion including cybercrime, cyberbullying and violent video games. The internet is also a source of (mis)information, source of which is often not verified and has a potential of harming the young mind. Blue Whale game is a recent example of such a harm.
4. Increasing violence in the young people is another important issue needing attention since youth are at risk of being victims as well as perpetrators of violence.
5. Cyberbullying is another mode of bullying, which has become increasingly common in the last few years with the increased access to and use of the internet-based services. Behavioural addictions and cyberbullying are two important harmful effects of the modern digital age, which especially affect the young.
6. Mental ill-health, substance use and violence in the young population are some important challenges faced by the mental health professionals as well as the society.

Recently concluded National Mental Health Survey of India estimates the current prevalence of mental disorders in the age group of 18-29 yr at 7.39% (excluding tobacco use disorder) and lifetime prevalence at 9.54%. The young people also suffer a high rate of self-harm, with suicide being a leading cause of death. Thus a multiple approach is needed to tackle rising mental health issues.