The Mental Health Epidemic
By: Narayanan Kizhumundayur
In an era where science is sending rockets to Mars and artificial intelligence is reshaping how we live and work, humanity finds itself battling a far more intimate, silent, and insidious crisis — the epidemic of mental health disorders.
Unlike visible diseases that manifest physically, mental illnesses reside in the hidden chambers of the mind, often masked by a polite smile, a composed face, or a routine life. They do not announce themselves through fever or bleeding wounds. Instead, they gnaw quietly at the soul, slowly eroding a person’s strength, identity, and desire to live. Tragically, this inner erosion is often misunderstood, neglected, or dismissed — even by those closest to the sufferer.
The scale of the crisis is staggering. Globally, mental illnesses affect hundreds of millions of people, cutting across age, geography, class, and gender. In India alone, it is estimated that over 200 million individuals experience some form of psychological distress or disorder.
Yet, the majority remain untreated, not necessarily due to lack of resources alone, but due to a far deeper malaise — the stigma and ignorance that continue to surround mental health. In many households, acknowledging depression is seen as weakness, seeking therapy is equated with being “mad”, and discussing mental breakdowns is considered shameful. The very vocabulary of our culture resists words like anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and trauma. As a result, people suffer in silence, often wearing the mask of normalcy while crumbling inside.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this crisis is that it afflicts not just the elderly or those facing extreme life challenges, but increasingly, the young. Students as young as ten or twelve show signs of clinical anxiety. Teenagers, pressured to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally, find themselves caught between expectations and their own fragile sense of self-worth.
The glorification of academic excellence, the rise of competitive environments, and the ever-looming shadow of social media have created an atmosphere where children feel judged, compared, and constantly inadequate. One failed exam, one negative comment online, or one broken relationship can tip the emotional balance, leading to panic attacks, self-harm, or even suicidal thoughts.
Among young adults, the pressure to ‘achieve’ has never been greater. The constant comparison with peers, the glorification of hustle culture, and the endless race for validation — whether through likes, promotions, or possessions — have built a mental environment that is both exhausting and hollow.
Despite technological advancements and material comforts, many find themselves lonely, disillusioned, and empty. The digital world, with all its convenience, has created an illusion of connection, but in truth, it has widened the emotional chasm between individuals. Conversations have turned into comment threads, friendships into emojis, and genuine emotional support into algorithm-driven suggestions.
The problem is compounded by the severe lack of mental health infrastructure in the country. India has fewer than one psychiatrist per lakh population, and even fewer trained psychologists and social workers. What little service exists is heavily concentrated in metros and private hospitals, making access a privilege rather than a right.
In rural areas, mental illness is often met with superstition, religious rituals, or outright denial. In urban settings, private therapy sessions are prohibitively expensive, often running into thousands of rupees per month — a cost that most families simply cannot afford. Government-run mental health programs are underfunded, understaffed, and often carry a historical stigma of being places for the ‘deranged’ rather than sanctuaries of healing.
What makes this crisis even more urgent is its impact on productivity, relationships, and societal harmony. Employees battling burnout and depression are unable to perform effectively, leading to economic losses for companies and nations. Family units suffer when one member is mentally unwell — either through the direct burden of care or through emotional estrangement.
Society at large loses empathy, tolerance, and sensitivity when its individuals are emotionally frayed. Mental health is not a personal issue — it is a national concern, one that affects everything from GDP to crime rates to school dropouts.
What then is the way forward? It begins with acknowledgment. We must accept that mental health is real, pervasive, and just as serious as any physical ailment. It deserves the same attention, resources, and urgency as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Conversations must begin at home — where children are taught that it is okay to cry, okay to speak up, and okay to seek help.
Schools must become spaces not just for academic growth but emotional safety, with trained counselors available to all students without judgment or ridicule. Workplaces must discard the outdated notion of emotional strength being measured by silence and suppression, and instead foster environments where vulnerability is treated with compassion, not suspicion.
Governments must recognize that without a mentally healthy population, progress is a mirage. Mental healthcare should be integrated into primary health systems, with funding allocated for training more professionals, building counseling centers in both cities and villages, and launching awareness campaigns that reach every corner of society.
Community-based interventions, tele-counseling services, and school-based emotional literacy programs must be treated not as luxury add-ons but as core health policies. Laws should also protect individuals from discrimination based on mental health conditions, ensuring their dignity in education, employment, and social life.
But perhaps above all, we as individuals must listen — truly listen — to those around us. Behind every silent friend, every withdrawn colleague, every irritable child, or every exhausted homemaker may lie an untold story of mental struggle.
A kind word, an unhurried conversation, a moment of empathy could be the difference between despair and hope. In a world that rushes forward at blinding speed, let us not lose sight of the quiet cries behind closed doors and smiling faces.
Mental health is not a privilege of the rich, not a luxury for the urban elite, and certainly not an issue to be pushed under the carpet. It is a human right, a societal need, and a moral imperative.
The longer we ignore it, the heavier the cost we will pay — not just in statistics, but in lost lives, broken families, and a generation robbed of peace. The time to act is now — not after tragedy strikes, not after the next report is published — but today, with urgency, compassion, and unwavering commitment.
(The author is an accountant and a Freelance writer. He is a regular contributor to ‘Kashmir Vision’)
