Importance of relationships and mental health
us again ‘stay’ Will have to learn. Without mobile, without any agenda. we have to ask again“How are you?” …Relationships demand time, presence, and above all else. Ask for support. Time also. If we are not able to do this, then depression will not only be a medical problem in the future, but will become a social epidemic. Where people may look normal on the outside, but are broken on the inside.
We live in strange times, where information noise is increasing. But the silence of communication is deepening. Man, who is essentially a social animal, is now becoming imprisoned in the virtual world of his own creation. This imprisonment is not visible, but keeps breaking from within. The companionship is coming to an end. This is not just a sentimental sentence, but the social reality of our times. Earlier life was based on ‘meeting’. Now it is going by ‘appearance’. Friendship is no longer recorded in meetings, but in stories. The family no longer stays connected by sitting together but by liking each other’s posts. Communication, which was the lifeblood of relationships, has now been reduced to exchange of information.
The biggest question here is, are we really ‘connected’? Or just maintaining the illusion of being ‘connected’? Be it ‘Vikramaditya Marg’ of Lucknow or any locality of Delhi (relatives, brothers-in-laws, neighbours), all are geographically close, but emotionally distant. No movement for months. This distance is not just about busyness, but about priorities. We have news from the distant ‘Strait of Hormuz’. Have an understanding of global politics. But not aware of the silent struggles going on within our own home. This selective sensitivity is the greatest irony of our times. Today, in the name of ‘space’ we have legitimized distance. Every person is imprisoned in his own ‘echo chamber’, where only those thoughts, the same feelings, the same images that he finds comfortable are there. This tendency to avoid disagreement, discomfort, and real dialogue is slowly making us self-centered and insensitive. But, what is the reason for this?
Experts tell. This is directly related to mental health. The global mental health crisis is at its peak today. The World Health Organization’s 2025 report suggests that more than one billion people are suffering from mental disorders. About 12 to 14 percent of the global population! Among these, anxiety and depression are prominent, which affect women more. Half of the problems in youth start before the age of 18. The situation is frightening for the youth. Suicide ranks as the leading cause of death among the 15 to 29 age group, accounting for more than seven million deaths annually globally. Nevertheless, most affected individuals remain untreated. Especially more than 75 percent in low- and middle-income countries. India is not untouched by this great crisis. According to the National Mental Health Survey (2015-16), 10.6 percent of adults (about 14-15 crore) suffer from mental disorders, of which 70 to 92 percent are living without treatment. NCRB’s 2023 report recorded 1.71 lakh suicide cases, with the rate being 12.3 persons per lakh. Family problems, illness and mental stress are the main reasons.
Remember, this crisis stems from biological (genetic, chemical imbalance), psychological (stress, trauma) and social factors (loneliness, digital addiction, Covid impact, erosion of relationships). Family distance and social media addiction in the digital age have deepened this.
In a society like India, which has been based on family and community structures, this crisis is even more complex. Because the problem here is not only of the person but of the system. There is degradation of relationships.
Examples like Prateek Yadav are not just personal tragedies; They are social signals. When a person goes into depression, it is not only his internal weakness but also the failure of the social fabric around him. We avoid asking whether we ever took the time to really ask about someone’s condition? Have we ever sat with someone without any selfish motive and just ‘listened’?
Today ‘Reel’ has replaced ‘Real’. We are more interested in recording moments rather than living them. Experience has been replaced by performance. Relationships have now become ‘content’. And in this process their essence has been lost.
Here the society will have to introspect. We have to understand that mental health is not just a matter of medicines or counselling; This is also a question of social structure. If communication is ending, depression will only increase. If relationships are becoming superficial, loneliness will only deepen. The solutions aren’t very complicated, but they aren’t easy either. Because they demand a change in our habits.
We have to learn to ‘pause’ again. Without mobile, without any agenda. We have to ask again, “How are you?” And you will also have to have the patience to hear the answer. We need to step out of our echo chambers and face the uncomfortable but lived truths of the real world.
Relationships demand time, presence, and above all else. Ask for support. Time also. If we are not able to do this, in the future depression will not just be a medical problem but will become a social epidemic. Where people may look normal on the outside, but are broken on the inside.
Remember this pandemic is a crisis of erosion of relationships and human compassion. It’s time we break stigma, increase budgets and embrace community-based care. Otherwise it will silently continue swallowing millions of lives. This is the time to look within ourselves, look around, and return to our people. Because ultimately, only man can save man. (The author is Assistant Professor at Ram Lal Anand College, Delhi University.)
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