World Mental Health Day 2025: Children are often masters at hiding their worries behind smiles, play, and routine. The pressure on children and their mental health are often overlooked. Yet, just like adults, they too can face stress, anxiety, and emotional struggles, sometimes silently.Â
World Mental Health Day 2025 serves as a reminder that understanding what children feel is just as important as providing for what they need. While kids may not always have the words to describe their emotions, their behaviour often tells a story , one that calls for empathy, awareness, and timely support from parents and caregivers.
“Help is often delayed; parents must listen firstâ€
Dr. Preeti Singh, Chief Medical Officer at LISSUN, highlights a common challenge: “Help is delayed a lot of times… There is a lot of denial with regard to mental health.†She explains that many parents believe children can “fix it by themselves, by their own willpower,†which often leads to delayed intervention. Many parents often do not consider mental health a real problem and only seek professional help when there’s a noticeable drop in their child’s academic performance, rather than when early warning signs appear. She stresses that recognizing mental health struggles early, rather than waiting for visible setbacks, is key to supporting children effectively and ensuring timely intervention.
The Subtle Signs Parents Often Miss
Dr. Nikita Bhati, Senior Clinical Psychologist at Samarpan Health, says, “Depression in children looks very different from adults. While adults may appear sad or withdrawn, children often express it through crying, irritability, or frustration.†Many parents miss these early emotional cues, mistaking them for moodiness or bad behaviour. But when a child starts getting upset more easily or seems unusually restless, it may be a quiet sign that they’re struggling inside.
Repetitive questioning, constant worries, or asking the same thing again and again can be another subtle clue. These patterns often reflect anxiety or intrusive thoughts that children don’t know how to describe. Tantrums and emotional outbursts, too, are not always about defiance, sometimes they’re an expression of emotional overwhelm.
Changes in daily habits, like poor sleep, loss of appetite, or withdrawing from friends and family, should also catch a parent’s attention. While it’s normal for teenagers to seek space, a sudden or prolonged disinterest in socialising or doing things they once enjoyed may point to deeper distress.
What Parents Can Do: Creating a Safe Space for Children
Dr. Bhati believes that one of the most powerful steps parents can take is simply being present. “Be there for your child. Put down your phone. Don’t multitask when they’re trying to talk to you,†she says. Children are more likely to open up when they feel truly heard and seen.
Empathy also plays a vital role. Instead of criticizing or dismissing their feelings, instead of always being a parent, try being a friend.Â
Encouraging effort over achievement is another way to ease emotional pressure. In today’s performance-driven world, many children equate self-worth with success. “When we praise effort instead of outcome,†Dr. Bhati says, “we help children value persistence and growth rather than perfection.†Putting pressure on your children regarding anything will never motivate them to work harder but support and understanding will.Â
In the end, nurturing a child’s mental health starts with awareness, empathy, and time. Children don’t always have the words to express what they feel but their behaviour often speaks for them. When parents choose to listen without judgment, validate emotions instead of dismissing them, and seek help early rather than waiting for things to get normal on its own.Â
