BENGALURU, India – March 19, 2025 – A groundbreaking analysis of over 100 studies on adolescent mental health in South Asia, presented last week at the International Association for Women’s Mental Health Congress, reveals alarming statistics regarding mental health issues among teenagers in the region. The study, which warns of a potential future surge in adult mental health problems, highlights the lack of adolescent-targeted health infrastructure in South Asia as a major factor contributing to the crisis.
Led by Professor Jane Fisher from the Global and Women’s Health Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the study was also recently published in The Lancet Regional Health, a renowned medical journal.
South Asia, home to 24% of the world’s population, houses the majority of the globe’s adolescents, aged 10-19, in mostly low- and middle-income countries. Professor Fisher emphasized the inadequacy of mental health services in the region: “In South Asia, mental health infrastructure is weak. Given the cultural, religious, geographical, and political diversity of this region, South Asian adolescents face unique mental health burdens. Failure to address these issues may have adverse consequences that extend into adulthood.”
The study, a meta-analysis of 117 studies published between January 2000 and April 2022, identified key mental health challenges faced by teenagers in South Asia. The findings include:
- Up to 81.6% of Indian teens reported anxiety, with many also experiencing depression.
- Up to 79% of Pakistani teens reported symptoms of depression.
- Up to 98.5% of Indian teens were found to be struggling with depression.
Researchers also pinpointed several factors contributing to mental health problems, including violent victimization, poor home, school, and peer environments, existing mental health issues, and substance abuse.
In contrast, factors such as increased physical activity, adequate nutrition, supportive family environments, peer support, and higher education levels were identified as protective factors for mental health.
“What our study found is that the high prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents in South Asia is often driven by social, cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that are often beyond the individual teenager’s control,” Professor Fisher said. “It’s clear that mental health policies and programs are urgently needed to address the significant mental health burden among South Asia’s adolescents.”
With mental health issues among South Asian teenagers on the rise, experts are calling for greater investment in infrastructure and support systems to ensure the mental well-being of future generations.
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