Expressing concern over the growing mental health challenges among children and young people, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has urged families, schools and communities to play a more active role in building emotional resilience, saying doctors and counsellors alone cannot address the crisis.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Sanmarg Mind Wellness Centre in Nagpur, Bhagwat said increasing screen exposure, declining family interaction and the absence of meaningful conversations within households are making children emotionally vulnerable. He pointed to incidents where students have taken extreme steps following examination failures or family disputes, questioning why young people today appear less resilient than previous generations.

Bhagwat argued that mental well-being should be viewed as a collective social responsibility rather than solely a medical issue. He said parents, grandparents, teachers and local communities all have a role in helping children develop emotional strength, confidence and coping skills from an early age.

Highlighting the need for a holistic approach, Bhagwat advocated combining modern psychological practices with India's traditional knowledge systems. While acknowledging the contribution of Western psychology, he called for the development of an "advanced Indian psychology" by integrating contemporary mental health practices with ancient philosophical texts such as the Yoga Vashistha and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which he described as valuable resources for understanding the human mind.

His remarks come at a time when concerns over student stress, examination pressure and youth mental health are receiving increasing national attention. Mental health experts have consistently stressed the importance of early intervention, family engagement and supportive school environments in preventing emotional distress among children and adolescents.

Parallel efforts are already underway in some states. In Rajasthan, the Khushishala initiative, implemented in around 1,500 government schools, focuses on strengthening social-emotional learning among students from Classes 1 to 5 while training teachers to identify signs of stress and promote mental well-being. Following encouraging results during its pilot phase, the programme is being expanded to more than 12,000 schools, reflecting a growing emphasis on preventive mental health support within the education system.