How distressed is young India?
Mind the MIND Psychological Unit’ of AKGsOVIHAMS observed Mental Health Day 2025 with the theme ‘Youth and Mental Health’. India is a young country and has the largest youth population in the world. With a median age of 28.4 years and a significant portion of its population under 35, there is huge potential to be realised. While it presents a great opportunity to fulfil the dream of India becoming a self-reliant and self-sustainable country, the picture isn’t quite rosy when looked at more intently. Today’s youth face unique challenges that arise not just from the environment, but also from within. Feelings like loneliness; insecurities about their looks; frail and fragile relationships; a constant need for approval and validation from others and emotional dysregulation are posing significant challenges to our youngsters who constantly feel on the edge. Add to this the uncertainty in the job market and the high unemployment rate. Today’s youngsters are struggling and they need help.
Mental healthcare services are much more accessible now than they were before. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more aware of mental health-related issues. Rapid growth and development in technology over the past few years have made it possible to effectively fight the stigma around seeking professional help. As a result, more youngsters are reaching out to mental health professionals on their own. These are encouraging signs, but a lot still needs to be done.
One such effort was recently made by Kaartik Gupta and Dharitri Dutta, Clinical Psychologists at ‘Mind the MIND’ (Psychology unit of AKGsOVIHAMS). They, along with their team of psychologists, carried out mental health screening for the students at a premier institute in Guwahati. It was done as part of the student welfare program organised by the institute for its newly admitted students. A total of 1412 students (901 pursuing UG and 511 pursuing PG) were tested within the first month of their joining. Out of this, surprisingly, 450 students (31.86 percent of the total) met the criteria for being significantly distressed or requiring further evaluation. These are worrying signs since their academic session had just begun.
Founder-Director AKGsOVIHAMS Prof. Dr A K Gupta added how at AKGsOVIHAMS, patients are treated holistically with Homoeopathy and psychology at the premier institute where patients’ welfare is the sole aim. “As it is dedicated to Homeo-Psycho Cure ‘n’ Care with Wellness,” said Dr A K Gupta, who is titled Father of Integration in Medicine and Health Care.
Dr Sanket Gupta, Homoeopathic Consultant at AKGsOVIHAMS, emphasised the wonderful role that Homoeopathy plays in treating stress, depression, anxiety disorders and even behavioural disorders without any harmful side effects.
As a nation, we have a unique growth opportunity with India’s young and dynamic workforce ready to utilise its tremendous potential. It’s up to all of us to create an environment that nurtures them, while the youngsters, too, need to prepare and hone their skills to thrive in the face of challenges.
