Date
16-Jun-2020 to 16-Jun-2020 		Location
Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm		 Format
Online
A recent Panel Discussion on COVID-19 and Young People: Impact and Solutions hosted by PRIA Youth, on May 2nd 2020 was a first step in recognizing the issues faced by young people in times of COVID-19. The Webinar was attended by more than 120 participants from all over the globe. The webinar saw discussions on various issues that the youth in India are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and mental health emerged from the discussion as one of the most important areas of concern for the youth.

The impact of the pandemic on mental health of young Indians can be seen from a recent example from Mallapuram, Kerala where a young student of class 10th committed suicide due to her inability to attend online classes . Another example can be seen from the urban slums of Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, where a social worker named Nasreen Ansari, identified a sudden increase in issues of mental health in the youth of her area due to the twin burdens of rising unemployment, and incidences of domestic abuse. These stories bring to the fore the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people. The stigma associated with mental health disorders in India further prevents a number of young people to seek help. Further, a general absence of mental health conversations in areas like small towns and rural areas, prevents youth to identify signs and symptoms of mental health disorders. Similarly the all-pervasive presence of social media and the pressures of documenting one’s life even during a crisis have led to more and more young people feeling inadequate and anxious.

It is imperative to note that in India, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown has increased the incidences of Mental Health Disorders among Indians by 20% according to a recent survey conducted by the Indian Psychiatry Society. Previous figures in the National Mental Health Survey of India-2015-16 estimate the prevalence of mental health disorders in people of 18-29 years at 7.39 per cent (excluding tobacco use disorder) and lifetime prevalence at 9.54 per cent. This coupled with a glaring gap in the availability of mental health professionals, with only 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 population in India, as compared to the WHO mandated ratio of 3 per 100,000, makes addressing mental health issues all the more difficult for young Indians.

Thus, PRIA Youth, along with Sangath, an organization working on mental health, joined hands to conduct a Webinar titled ‘Addressing Mental Health for Youth in Times of COVID-19’ on 16th June (Tuesday) between 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. (IST). The aim of the webinar was to provide a safe space for participants to raise questions about mental health and get suitable answers and information about support mechanisms, especially those online during COVID-19.

This webinar aimed to addressing the following key questions:

The key points that came out of the discussion were as follows: 


Panellists:


Moderator: Nikita Rakhyani, Program Officer, PRIA Youth