Health

"Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains poor." "Flights cancelled due to smog in Delhi."  The headlines mostly focus on Delhi’s toxic air, and the spotlight rarely shifts. However, another story often goes untold: the air in South Indian cities. The AQI readings in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others mostly fall in the “satisfactory” range. Yet, does that really mean the air is safe to breathe? On a busy road in HSR Layout, Kanmani runs a tiffin centre from a pushcart. One evening, she began wrapping up earlier than usual. Just beside her shop, the air was thick with smoke. Garbage…

As people gain awareness of mental health, many have started using apps that offer advice and support. This growth is driven by the increased use of smartphones and easy access to the internet. However, many people still believe that mental health care is expensive, which deters them from seeking professional help, despite the availability of trained experts at government hospitals and through helplines and district mental health programmes. Because of this, users may turn to digital platforms for mental health support. But, how reliable are these apps? A systematic review of 350 mental health applications by the Indian Council of…

In 2014, Srividhya didn’t imagine she would help dozens navigate through mental illness, consistently pushing them to reflect and dream of a better life. The 55-year-old’s routine involves shuttling between ten homes for the mentally ill run by The Banyan, a Chennai-based NGO, across Kovalam. A long list of daily tasks ensues — attending to the mental health needs of service users, supervising hygiene, functioning, and vital signs, and noting medications, as well as participating in group discussions, among others. “When clients say they are glad I’m coming, it feels like a certification beyond money, pride and fame. It feels…

76-year-old Bela Nag, a retired school teacher in Kolkata, finds urban life increasingly isolating. “Young people have no patience with the elderly,” she says, “Availing basic services has become a challenge due to technological advancements and wide scale adoption.” Bela’s sentiments only reflect what is reality for many seniors across urban India who are constantly grappling with the pressure of adapting to exploding cities, migration and rapid digital change. Their predicament brings to the fore larger questions around the effect of city living on the mental health of seniors, especially those who live alone. What affordable, stigma-free, accessible solutions can…

Dr Sanjeevani Rajwade (60) from Mumbai's Vile Parle fractured her foot this rainy season after stepping into a hidden pothole. She walks to her clinic daily, a 10-minute commute from home. “I’ve tried all kinds of footwear to avoid falling,” she says, “but with broken footpaths and uneven roads, nothing really works. Every day, just walking safely to my clinic is a struggle.” Earlier this month, Siddesh Narvekar (31) had his leg trapped in a 10-centimetre-wide drainage hole near Jogeshwari Metro station. The fire brigade took nearly four hours to free him using chipping hammers and cutters, working cautiously as…

Amidst the green hues of the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bengaluru, conversations on mental health are getting a new shade. On one Saturday morning each month, beneath the majestic trees, people from different backgrounds gather to interact with mental health professionals. The discussions span a wide variety of themes such as emotional well-being, suicide prevention, digital overuse and much more, creating an open forum where dialogue replaces one-way information. This initiative, called Community Connect, envisioned by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), converts a public park into a space for shared learning and support. The Mental Health…

When a 30-year-old man from Karnataka felt overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts and a deep sense of hopelessness, he reached out to a government-run tele-counselling helpline. On the other end of the line was a trained counsellor from Tele MANAS, India’s national tele-mental health programme. The counsellor listened patiently, offered emotional support, and guided him to a nearby mental health hospital under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) for further care. In another case, a 17-year-old student, anxious about his upcoming exams, called the same helpline. He received practical advice, study tips, and daily motivation. Two years later, he called back…

As the realities of climate change become increasingly evident, conversations around its psychological impact are more important than ever. In the first part of this series, we shared the experiences of individuals navigating eco/climate anxiety in their daily lives. In this second part, we speak with two experts, Cauviya and Samatha, to delve deeper into eco-anxiety and eco-grief and examine how environmental changes are influencing mental health across different social groups. Read more: Bengaluru’s street vendors are the first to be impacted by climate change: Lekha Adavi About the experts Cauviya Cauviya is an industrial/organisational psychologist who is trained in…

M Ravi, a 63-year-old resident of Sarvamangala Nagar in Chennai, fondly remembers the days when he would bathe in Sembakkam Lake before heading to college. “Early mornings were cold as we lived close to the lake. I neither had the time nor the means to heat water. A clean lake gave me not just a place to bathe but also taught me how to swim. Rain or shine, it was central to our social life,” he says with a smile. Nearly five decades later, he stands before the same lake, now choked with sewage, and feels a deep sense of…

The deaths of over 20 children in the past few weeks, after consuming cough syrup that was reportedly contaminated with toxic chemicals, have sparked nationwide concern and left parents searching for answers. The deaths, which occurred in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, have been linked to a medicine called Coldrif, which is a fixed-dose combination drug (FDC) used to treat common cold symptoms.   In August 2024, the Union Health Ministry banned 156 FDC drugs, citing serious health risks to humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also repeatedly warned about the dangers of contaminants in paediatric medicines. In a country where people…