Mental Health

India's mental health care workforce must quadruple to meet needs

Country has 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people: Less than the world average of 1.3

How peer pressure shapes health choices of youth and how to push back

As social acceptance takes centre stage in adolescence, peer pressure can quietly shape health behaviours. Experts outline warning signs and the importance of saying no

Why 'unwinding' with screens may increase stress and what to try instead

Evidence suggests that mental relief comes not from adding new coping strategies, but from reducing the number of demands placed on the brain

How stress changes your face: What's 'cortisol face' and how to reverse it

When stress lingers, cortisol nudges the body to hold on to salt and water, redistributes fat, and stirs up inflammation

Want to catch up on sleep over the weekend? Science says it may not work

Extra weekend sleep can ease fatigue and briefly sharpen alertness, but it cannot reverse deeper health effects of chronic sleep deprivation or fix long-term sleep debt, says a doctor

Teens who sleep more on weekends show lower depression symptoms: Study

A US study suggests teens and young adults who sleep longer on weekends to make up for weekday sleep loss may have

Is your pet your therapy? Doctors explain how dogs and cats change stress

Pet ownership can bring comfort and calm through routine and companionship, though experts stress that emotional benefits differ widely and can sometimes come with added strain

Trump admin slashes $2 bn funding for substance abuse, mental health

The Trump administration has made abrupt and sweeping cuts to substance abuse and mental health programs across the country in a move that advocates said will jeopardize the lives of some of the country's most vulnerable. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday night canceled some 2,000 grants representing nearly USD 2 billion in funding, according to an administration official with knowledge of the cuts who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. The move pulls back funding for a wide swath of discretionary grants and represents about a quarter of SAMHSA's overall budget. It immediately jeopardizes programs that give direct mental health services, opioid treatment, drug prevention resources, peer support and more to communities affected by addiction, mental illness and homelessness. Without that funding, people are going to lose access to lifesaving services, said Yngvild Olsen, former director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment a

National Youth Day 2026: Top health challenges India's young can't ignore

Changing lifestyles, nutritional gaps and untreated mental health issues are pushing chronic diseases into younger age groups across India

Surviving Climate Anxiety: A manifesto for flourishing in climate change

Guilt-driven environmentalism that favours moral absolutism and blames individuals for inaction on climate issues is the wrong approach to climate action

Why 80% of Indians with mental illness still miss timely treatment

Despite better medicines and growing awareness, nearly eight in ten Indians with mental illness still do not get timely care, as experts cite stigma, doctor shortages and weak health systems

Doctor's orders for 2026: Take every office leave you're entitled to

Doctors are urging professionals to stop glorifying overwork and use all their office leave in 2026 to protect mental health, prevent burnout and sustain long-term productivity

Why New Year's resolutions fail, and how to make them actually stick

Most New Year resolutions fail not because of weak willpower, but because they ignore how the brain builds habits. Mental health experts explain what actually works

Toxic air hurting mental health, raises ADHD risk, warn health experts

As Delhi continues to breathe toxic air, experts have warned that this is not only sabotaging the physical health but also the mental well-being, increasing the likelihood of children having lower IQ levels, memory disturbances, and a higher likelihood of developing ADHD. Pointing at research-based evidence, medical practitioners said that toxic air is leading to depression, increased anxiety, poor memory and disrupted cognitive development, while prolonged exposure is associated with increased risks of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Dr Anchal Miglani, a psychiatrist at Emoneeds, which provides care to people struggling with mental health problems, said that while respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergic conditions dominate public attention, the psychiatric impact of air pollution is equally alarming. Researches indicate a clear link between pollution and rising cognitive and neurotic disorders, with children, the geriatric population, and

What really works for ADHD: Pills, therapy and what global evidence shows

The largest-ever review of ADHD treatments finds medicines work best in the short term, CBT helps adults, and long-term answers remain missing, forcing families and doctors to weigh benefits against h

Is stress driving compulsive porn use in India? What a Nimhans study found

A Nimhans study links anxiety, stress to problematic pornography use in Indian adults, highlighting early exposure, compulsive patterns and need to address coping and mental health, not just behaviour

From fibremaxxing to GLP-1s: What were India's top health trends in 2025?

From fibremaxxing and longevity clinics to GLP-1 drugs, AI hospitals and workplace mental health, 2025 reshaped how India talks about prevention, ageing and wellbeing

Beyond being well: Teens and Gen Z redefine what it means to be healthy

A generation ago, friendship, beauty, community and dating mattered but weren't seen as "health". Today, these social and personal dimensions are increasingly viewed as integral to being healthy

Positive psychology experts ignore their own advice, mindset maybe the key

Study finds wellbeing experts rely less on scheduled activities and more on a flexible mindset that adapts to life's ups and downs, rather than intentionally "doing" prescribed positivity exercises

What is an 'alcoholic personality'? Why Trump backed Susie Wiles' remark

Trump endorsed Susie Wiles' "alcoholic personality" label despite being a non-drinker. Psychiatrists explain why it is not a diagnosis, and what traits the phrase points to