New Delhi: In a startling revelation, it has come to the notice that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has created serious concerns about the mental health of children and their families as around 14 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, has often felt depressed. According to the findings of the Unicef report on mental health 'The States of the World's Children 2021', only 41 per cent of young people in India were willing to seek support for mental health problems in comparison to an average of 83 per cent for 21 countries which have been surveyed by the Unicef.
However, the report noted the impact on children and young people's mental health continues to weigh heavily as the pandemic is heading into its third year. The report also highlighted that children have had limited access to support from social services due to lockdown restrictions.
The disruption to routines, education, recreation as well as concern for family income and health is leaving many young people feeling afraid, angry and concerned for their future.
In India, children with mental health disorders are mostly undiagnosed and hesitant in seeking help or treatment. As per the report, it is estimated that more than 13 per cent of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years live with a diagnosed mental disorder as defined by the World Health Organization, which represents 86 million adolescents aged 15 to 19 years and 80 million adolescents aged 10 to 14 years.
"About 89 million adolescent boys aged 10 to 19 years and 77 million adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years live with a mental disorder across the globe," it said, adding that in childhood, risk factors include poor nutrition and violent discipline.
Globally, around 29 per cent of children do not have minimum dietary diversity and in the world's least developed countries, 83 per cent of children experience violent discipline from caregivers and 22 per cent are in a form of child labour, it said.