Children

India saw one of its most ambitious mental health initiatives for schools earlier this month, led by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This virtual campaign ran from October 4 to 10, and was designed to bring mental health support and conversations directly into school...

It was a friendship that grew into a lifeline. When Nida and Sheena first met as schoolgirls in Dubai, they didn’t imagine their lives would one day intertwine to create something that could help children halfway across the world navigate grief, abuse, displacement, or the rumble of an earthquake. But today, their creation, Rocky Books,...

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur has partnered with the Pahlé India Foundation to launch India’s first large-scale, multi-center study assessing blood lead levels (BLLs) in children and examining the effects on their cognitive and mental health. The study, titled "Assessment of Blood Lead Levels in the Paediatric Population and Evaluation of...

The Government of Kerala has announced a new initiative to train 3,000 school teachers to serve as primary mental health counselors across the state. This will be Phase 1 of the initiative, a move that's part of a broader effort to address rising levels of psychological distress among students, including anxiety, substance use, and excessive...

As a first-person essay, this does not require review by our team of Reviewers. Barring minor changes for grammar and sentence structure, we have kept the voice of the author intact. Why? How? What?… This is the stage when these questions are never-ending. The toddler, who was a curious explorer using their newfound “speaking” abilities,...

This is a personal essay written by the author, sharing their individual journey and experiences. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this piece belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MyndStories. This essay has not been professionally vetted or reviewed for clinical accuracy. My last essay was about life...

As mental health challenges among Indian students reach crisis levels, MyndStories, India’s first holistic content-driven mental health platform, has launched MyndSafe, a suite of innovative, culturally sensitive mental health programs designed specifically for schools and colleges. What ails the Indian education system? Post-pandemic, Indian school children are witnessing a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and...

A sweeping new analysis of 293,000 children worldwide has found a significant connection between increased screen time and a higher risk of emotional and behavioral challenges, including aggression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The findings, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin led by Dr. Michael Noetel and Roberta Vasconcellos, underscore growing concerns among pediatricians and mental...

India is home to over 13 million single-mother households, according to a UN Women report. That’s 4.5% of all households – women parenting alone, balancing emotional labour, financial strain, and social scrutiny, often without the acknowledgment or systems of support they deserve. The number is large, but what’s far bigger is the silence around it....

This is a personal essay written by the author, sharing their individual journey and experiences. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this piece belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MyndStories. This essay has not been professionally vetted or reviewed for clinical accuracy. I am a mother of two...

As the author is a mental health professional, this piece did not go through our usual review channels. Welcoming a newborn to the family is always filled with joy and celebration, as it should be. This baby is now officially counted in the global population. I fondly recollect my experience—as I walked into my home...

This is a story I never thought I’d tell. I once left work an hour early after finding out that I’d had a miscarriage. An early one, they said. Barely six weeks in. I wanted to leave work after completing the mandatory 8 hours at the desk and skip my one-hour lunch, just for a...

"Mom, Dad, tell me a story." It’s a request you’ve probably heard countless times. You might think that storytelling, an art as old as humanity itself, has lost some charm in our modern digital world. With YouTube, social media, streaming platforms, and many screens constantly competing for our kids' attention, do intergenerational stories still matter?...

“I always strived for academic excellence since childhood because I could see that it made my parents happy. So, I continued,” shares Alisha Chaudhry, a 21-year-old student from Mathura pursuing a B.Tech. in Computer Science alongside a Masters in Psychology. When asked if she identifies as a nerdy kid, she reflects, “Not so much. I...

As the author is a therapist herself, this article is not vetted by our team of reviewers. I was getting ready to share my personal journey of parenthood experience, I remembered a drabble I wrote for a picture prompt challenge (pregnancy kit) – of a couple’s feelings: “After waiting for eternity To see the “double...

This is a personal essay written by the author, sharing their individual journey and experiences. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this piece belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MyndStories. This essay has not been professionally vetted or reviewed for clinical accuracy. No one teaches you how to...

As the author is a mental health and disability rights consultant, our team of internal reviewers has not vetted this feature. “I still remember the doctor’s words: ‘Your child has cerebral palsy.’ That day, my world fell apart.” – Meera* Meera isn’t alone in feeling her world fell apart after a neurodivergent diagnosis for her...

Aignosis, a startup based in Jaipur, has introduced an AI-driven tool aimed at transforming early autism screening for childhood in India. Founded by entrepreneurs Raksheet Jain and Divyansh Mangal, Aignosis seeks to make early autism detection both accessible and affordable for families nationwide. The centerpiece of Aignosis's innovation is a non-invasive, five-minute screening process that...

A January 2025 report from Sapien Labs has identified a concerning association between early smartphone ownership and declining mental health among adolescents. The study, encompassing data from 10,475 children aged 13 to 17 in the United States and India, highlights that acquiring a smartphone at a younger age correlates with heightened feelings of aggression, anger,...

As the author is a therapist herself, this article is not vetted by our team of reviewers. On a cold yet sunny morning in early 2013, after relocating to Lyon, France, with my young family, I vividly remember my turbulent state of mind. Sitting on the windowsill of the living room, with my 2-year-old son...