Meera Kami
The population of Nepal according
to the census report of 2021 has reached 29,192,480, in which 42% of the
population consist of children and adolescents.
The Ministry of Health and Population has given an
estimate of about 15–20% of this population experiences some form of mental
disorder. The most commonly reported being anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders,
and mood disorders seen
across cultures. According to a
report in The Rising Nepal, suicide
rate has also increased from 11 people a day to 19 people a day.
Thus, mental health
issues are big problems in a country like Nepal where society does not talk
about it openly and the number of people with mental health issues are
increasing day-by-day, especially teenagers. Families in Nepal teach their kids
about other things and how to deal with the problem or difficulties they will
face in their life but they do not tell them how to overcome the mental health
issues that they will face at least once in their life. They do not even talk
about it and act like it doesn't even exist. Teens who are suffering from
mental health problems are mostly because of their family conflict, peer
pressure, or from the college stress. Most of them don’t open up about it and
in the end they try to commit suicide or isolate themselves. The reason for
them not to open up is because in Nepali household things like depression,
social anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, and mood disorders do not
exist.
In the 21st century people with mental health
issues are really common compared to the past years. In the past, these issues
were a really big thing and not many people were suffering from these things,
but now people think that mental health problems are not a big thing and most
of the people are suffering from them. School and college play an important
role in their students' lives because they spend most of their time in school
or college especially for the teens. If a student faces bullying, groupism, discrimination
then he/she will be depressed or isolate themselves which is not good for their
mental health.
Schools
and colleges should provide counseling, meditation and yoga sessions monthly
for the students so they can cope up with the mental health problems and
parents should talk to their kids about mental health issues as they talk about
other problems and try to maintain a peaceful environment at home. hopefully
the coming generation will take mental health more seriously and take care of
their mental health as they take care of their physical health because mental
health is as important as physical health.
(Meera Kami
is a journalism student at St. Xaviers College)