Recently, the leadership of Nada India Foundation met actor Amol Parashar in Delhi. We appreciated his courage in taking on socially responsive roles in web series such as Gram Chikitsalay and the live performance Besharam Aadmi. These performances stood out because they did not shy away from difficult truths — about stigma, dignity, and the shift from inner monologues of silence to open dialogues about the everyday realities of mental health.
But while art can inspire, the reality we face as young people today is heartbreaking. According to NCRB data, student suicides in India have risen by 34% in 2023 compared to 2019. Behind these numbers are not just statistics but classmates, friends, and peers who could not find the support they needed in time. Each story is a reminder that India is in the middle of a growing mental health emergency.
Why Representation Matters
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What stood out most was the role of the young physician, played by Amol Parashar. Unlike older portrayals where people with mental health conditions were forcefully taken away by vans (today termed “medically assisted transfers”), this character respected consent, dignity, and family involvement. As a young professional, he waited for the mother’s painful decision — treating her son not as a problem to hide but as a person with rights.
This shift in narrative is important: it reflects the world we want — where young professionals are trusted for their sensitivity and fresh perspective, and where treatment begins with trust, compassion, and dignity, not fear or coercion.
From Screen to Society: Why Early Support Matters
At Nada India Foundation, we see a direct connection between these stories and the urgent need for:
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Early diagnosis and intervention
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Accessible primary health care
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Physician training that goes beyond diagnosis
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Youth-friendly mental health services
And yet, contradictions remain. On World Mental Health Day this year, two companies approached us to conduct employee awareness sessions. While they recognized the importance of mental health, they asked us to do it free of cost. This reflects a frustrating reality: awareness is growing, but investment and resources are still missing.
Like the physician in the web series, young advocates are often expected to give time and energy selflessly. But without structural support, such efforts cannot be sustained.
Why Youth Voices Must Be Central
For young people, the rise in student suicides is not an abstract issue. It is personal and painful. We lose peers, friends, and classmates to a system that is still not ready.
What we need now is not only conversation but action:
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Investment in mental health services
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Training more professionals who can understand and respond to young voices
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Safe spaces where students can speak without fear or stigma
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Policies and funding that put youth at the center, not at the margins
World Mental Health Day 2025: A Call to Action
This year’s theme, “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” emphasizes the urgency of strengthening mental health support during crises — whether natural disasters, conflicts, pandemics, or personal emergencies like suicidal ideation.
For students, suicide itself is a silent catastrophe. The absence of timely care and empathetic systems turns personal struggles into preventable tragedies. Access to services must mean access for young people — here and now.
Final Word
The rise in student suicides is not just a crisis of numbers. It is our lived reality and our future at stake. Society must listen to youth voices, value lived experiences, and commit real resources so that no young life is lost to silence.
Creative platforms like web series are valuable — they allow for experimentation, collective storytelling, and the courage to show realities many would rather avoid. But beyond the screen, what we need is systemic compassion, sustainable investment, and youth-centered care.
On this World Mental Health Day, let us move from awareness to action, and from sympathy to solidarity. The lives of young people demand nothing less.
#WorldMentalHealthDay #YouthVoices #StudentMentalHealth #NadaIndiaFoundation #AmolParashar #HealthyCampus #NAPSWI
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