Diet, screen time drive decline in mental health among India's youth: Study

A global study finds India's young adults scoring far below older generations on mental health, with rising consumption of ultra-processed food and increasing screen exposure emerging as key risks

India is often seen as a protective society when it comes to mental health. Strong family ties, religious practice and community life are assumed to shield young people from the kind of mental health crisis seen in the West. But new global data suggests that protection is thinning fast.

 

The latest report from the Global Mind Project shows that Indian young adults are struggling more than is widely recognised. The Global Mind Project is a large, independent research initiative that studies mental health across countries by measuring how well people are able to cope, think, feel and function in everyday life, alongside the social and lifestyle factors shaping those outcomes. 

Among internet-enabled Indians aged 18–34, the Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) stands at 33 — below the global average of 41. The contrast with older Indians is stark: those aged 55 and above score 96, revealing a deep generational divide. 

“The collapse is already in progress,” says Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs, which runs the Global Mind Project. “India’s young adults are only slightly below the global average, but the drop compared to older adults is massive — 63 points. That gap is even wider than the global average.”

 

India does perform better than several developed countries. Its young adults fare better than peers in around 24 countries, including Japan and the UK. Still, India sits firmly in the bottom third of the global rankings, suggesting it is not immune — just later to the crisis.

 

Two modern lifestyle shifts stand out. One is diet. Around 44 per cent of Indian young adults regularly consume ultra-processed foods, compared with just 11 per cent among older adults. “In populations that eat ultra-processed food almost every day, this can contribute up to a third of the mental health burden,” Thiagarajan warns, pointing to additives that disrupt emotional and cognitive control.

 

The other is smartphones. Indian youth received smartphones later than peers in rich countries — around 16.5 years on average — but that age is falling fast. “The entire modern internet-enabled population is basically in the same boat,” Thiagarajan says.

 

Family bonds and spirituality still matter in India, but they are no longer enough on their own. As food habits and digital exposure change, India’s mental health advantage may prove fragile — and temporary.