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Community stakeholders' perspectives on youth mental health in India: Problems, challenges and recommendations

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Abstract

Background India has a large youth population whose mental health needs must be addressed. This includes promotion of positive mental health, with early detection and effective intervention for mental health disorders. Understanding the perspectives of community stakeholders working with youth is pivotal to this effort. Current study aimed to bring together a group of community stakeholders (eg, parents, teachers, policy makers) to understand their perspectives on youth mental health problems, challenges in provision of care, and to provide recommendations to address these concerns at national level. Materials and methods The study was conducted across two sites in India: Chennai and New Delhi. Three group meetings were conducted involving 52 participants, including governmental, non‐governmental and community representatives working with youth. The proceedings were manually recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis method. Results Many youth mental health problems were similar across the two sites. The commonest drivers of mental health problems were reported to be academic pressure, substance use and problematic internet/social media use. Stigma and lack of awareness were identified as the most important challenges acting as barriers to seeking mental health help by youth. Prioritizing youth mental health as a national programmes along with strong political will were the major recommendations suggested by the stakeholders. Conclusion Initial findings suggest that prioritizing youth mental health programmes in India would be advantageous. Inclusive and collaborative approach, involving community stakeholders working with youth in providing services that promote mental health and early access to care will help in developing healthy young citizens.

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... This entails implementing policies and programs to reduce stigma, providing mental health education and training, and offering accessible support services for employees [30][31][32]. Raising awareness, destigmatizing mental health discussions, and integrating mental health initiatives into broader public health agendas are critical in the Indian context [26,33,34]. By fostering a culture of support and prioritizing employee well-being, organizations in India can create healthier and more resilient work environments, benefiting both individuals and the larger society. ...
... Leadership advocacy is also crucial; when leaders prioritize mental health and openly discuss it, it sets a positive precedent for the entire organization. Creating a supportive culture where mental health is integrated into wellness programs can significantly impact help-seeking behaviors [33]. Leadership must actively promote mental health initiatives and demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being. ...
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... Societal factors, like poverty itself and policies that perpetuate it, create a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness in adolescents. Discrimination, a lack of affordable housing, and limited job opportunities for parents all contribute to a negative mental state and overall well-being [5]. In conclusion, poverty acts like a constant stressor across all these layers of the Bronfenbrenner model, shaping adolescents' personalities through limited opportunities and fostering negative experiences that ultimately impact their mental health. ...
... The other found that among youth with a psychiatric diagnosis in Pakistan, participants identi ed their emotional state, family problems, and bad luck as playing a causal role in their mental health di culties. In India, a study with a stakeholder group of individuals working with youth found that stigma and limited mental health awareness were key barriers to young people accessing support (Dhandapani et al., 2021). Other studies have found that South Asian youth living in developed countries have poor awareness of available mental health services and options for seeking support for mental health concerns (Ali, McLachlan, Kanwar, & Randhawa, 2017). ...
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... Notably, updating the systematic review also highlighted several studies that contribute to the social context of mental-health-related stigma. A qualitative study of community stakeholder perspectives (not including youth) described that schools are hesitant to acknowledge the extent of mental health problems and students fear being labelled, thereby creating an environment of hiding mental health problems [100]. The study also highlighted the need for school and college counsellors and mental health training for teachers. ...
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The aim of this article is to review recent epidemiological research on age-of-onset of mental disorders, focusing on the WHO World Mental Health surveys. Median and inter-quartile range (IQR; 25th-75th percentiles) of age-of-onset is much earlier for phobias (7-14, IQR 4-20) and impulse-control disorders (7-15; IQR 4-35) than other anxiety disorders (25-53, IQR 15-75), mood disorders (25-45, IQR 17-65), and substance disorders (18-29, IQR 16-43). Although less data exist for nonaffective psychosis, available evidence suggests that median age-of-onset is in the range late teens through early 20s. Roughly half of all lifetime mental disorders in most studies start by the mid-teens and three quarters by the mid-20s. Later onsets are mostly secondary conditions. Severe disorders are typically preceded by less severe disorders that are seldom brought to clinical attention. First onset of mental disorders usually occur in childhood or adolescence, although treatment typically does not occur until a number of years later. Although interventions with early incipient disorders might help reduce severity-persistence of primary disorders and prevent secondary disorders, additional research is needed on appropriate treatments for early incipient cases and on long-term evaluation of the effects of early intervention on secondary prevention.
Emerging area of counselling in schools in India
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