58% of youngsters in Mumbai have thought of suicide: Survey

Mumbai: Stress among teenagers is a concern for the teens, their parents and also their teachers.

A Greek philosopher once said, “Change is the only constant in life”. People change, circumstances change, thoughts change. Teenagers find it a lot more difficult to cope with such variations. Hence, this leads to acute stress, anxiety, burnout and tension.

Poor self image, study and work-related stress, and family and peer pressure are wrecking havoc with the minds of youngsters in metro cities.

A survey shows that

58% of its respondents in Mumbai and
52% in Bengaluru
32% in Chennai.

The results of the three-city survey of 1,900 people in the 14-24 age group has mental health experts worried, reported TOI.

“If we don’t look after the emotional health of our young, growing generation, we will be bringing up a society of fractured youth who will be stress-ridden, have anxiety disorders and grow up to have troubled relationships,” said Swati Popat Vats, president, Podar Institute of Education.

Mental health professionals feel teen suicide is a huge concern. “Over the last three years, we have seen a lot of cases of severe depression among young people. Many patients visiting us say they want to end their lives and have given up hope. This is very alarming. In most cases, parents are totally unaware about the situation,” said clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany.

Experts feel that in most cases, victims try to reach out for help but don’t get any, and there must be awareness to help identify such signs.