Writer: Dyotona Roza
Editor: Nousheen Manzur

Mental health is a tricky and sensitive subject. It requires proper care and evaluation, however the basic formula for it is to recognize its significance and work towards it. This involves working towards a vast range of things, such as identifying the issue, self-reflecting, coming up with healthy coping mechanisms, etc. This can be particularly complicated for a specific group of people, students. Students have a lot going on for them and to be able to give proper time and care to one’s mental health is unfortunately a privilege only some get to have. Mental health has still maintained its status as a stigmatised subject in the developing country of Bangladesh. Efforts have been made in the West to bring much awareness to mental health and its many angles but in Bangladesh, where the society consists of more conservative and traditional values, this effort seems to have made no change. The next generation is anticipated to bring this change but how will they accomplish that if they themselves are struggling? Suicide rates among primary and high school students are rising at an alarming rate and the prime reason is the blatant neglect and ignorance towards the root cause of mental health. As students busy their young and impressionable minds with education, societal pressure, social media and what not, their mental health degrades. They may be uncomfortable asking for help or perhaps, they are unaware of what approach they should take when confronted with troubling thoughts. All of this is a result of the notion that mental health is “not real” and it is “not a real problem”. Time and time again studies have proved the dangerous effects of poor mental health. The younger age demographic is more susceptible to harmful effects as they are more easily influenced and unguarded. When the very own people around them cannot accept their shortcomings or acknowledge the concerns shown by the sufferer, there is no room left for focusing on the improvement of mental well-being.. In an effort to sugarcoat it and belittle its significance, it gets pushed under the rug and is often not prioritised Thus, it’s time to accept and embrace mental health as it is. Mental health is not something that will be resolved if you just get off your phone, it won’t go away if you study more; these are common things the youth often has to hear from society. Not only can these words have unimaginable consequences, it promotes the habit of keeping feelings bottled up and using dangerous sources of getaway. The youth of Bangladesh are often constantly pressured by family values and academic validation. It’s not an easy process to come out of one’s shell and ignore society’s perception. However, by normalising speaking about the struggles of mental health, the stigma will slowly but surely fade away. Although Bangladesh is still a work in progress in that aspect, with proper education and awareness any issue can be tackled. The new generation of students symbolises self-improvement and acceptance as anxiety, depression and other mental disorders are becoming more widely discussed hence, promising a better future.