CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE MAPPING: INDIA 2024
India's Adolescents: Powering the Nation's Future Building strong minds and bodies through holistic, youth-centred care
- English
- हिंदी
Highlights
The pressing need for a comprehensive service mapping of child and adolescent mental health in India emerges from the alarming mental health crisis affecting this population subset. The ever-increasing 436 million children & adolescents represent a vital asset for our future society. However, despite significant advancements in physical health, the mental health services for children have lagged considerably, often relegated to a deprioritised status in the health policy discussions. The infrastructure to support their mental well-being remains severely inadequate.
Mental health issues among children and adolescents are frequently left unidentified and untreated until the effects convert the distress into dysfunction. This treatment gap is exacerbated by poor help-seeking behaviour compounded by stigma and lack of awareness. There is a concerning trend toward dismissing adolescents' problems as a normal part of growing up, often obscuring the reality of their experiences and allowing their concerns to fester without support.
