Anxiety and depression have risen among teenagers in the US, the UK and other countries, and today the WHO says one in seven young people aged 10 to 19 lives with a mental disorder. Scientists still disagree on why; screens, less free play, less sleep and loneliness are all being studied. For children under six, no study we found shows a rise; the data are thin. What is clear is that the early years are when a child's protection is built. The things that go with children who cope better are simple and old: a calm adult, steady daily routines, stories she loves, real play, family meals, and knowing where she comes from. Our traditions already hold many of these.
In this article
What the numbers actually say
Many parents carry a quiet worry: are our children more fragile than we were? The answer depends on the age, so let us be precise.
Teenagers: the World Health Organization says one in seven young people aged 10 to 19 lives with a mental disorder. Anxiety and depression are the most common.
WHO fact sheet, Mental health of adolescents, 2025.Ages 3 to 17: in a US national survey of more than 1.7 lakh children, anxiety diagnosed by a doctor (as parents reported it) rose from 7.1% to 9.2% between 2016 and 2020, and depression from 3.1% to 4.0%. Part of this may be because parents and doctors notice and diagnose more today.
Lebrun-Harris et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2022 (174,551 children).Under six: I could find no study showing a rise in this age group. What studies do show is that anxiety can already be diagnosed in some 3-year-olds, and it often continues to age 6. So the early years matter, but there is no reason for panic.
Bufferd et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, 2012 (462 children aged 3 to 6).Engineer's note
When a number rises in a system, an engineer asks two questions. What changed in the inputs? And what protection can we design in before the failure shows up? For our children, the first question is still being argued by scientists. The second one, we can act on today.
Why is it happening? What scientists agree on, and what they don't
The most popular answer, and the most argued about. The largest analyses find that screen use explains only a small part of the difference in teenagers' wellbeing: in one study of over 3.5 lakh teens, at most 0.4%. Other researchers argue phones matter more than these averages show. The fair summary: screens are one input among many, and what they replace (sleep, play, talk) may matter as much as the screen itself.
Orben & Przybylski, Nature Human Behaviour, 2019 (355,358 teenagers).Some researchers argue that children today have far less time to play and solve problems on their own, without adults directing them, and that this loss of independence is a cause of rising anxiety. It is a strong argument, built on links across decades, and it is still being tested.
Gray, Lancy & Bjorklund, Journal of Pediatrics, 2023 (a commentary, not a trial).Smaller families, busier parents, grandparents in another city: many children have fewer people around them every day. Researchers are studying how loneliness in childhood links to later mood; the evidence is still growing.
My reading as a parent: there is no single cause, and no single fix. But the protective side of the question is much clearer.
Seven things that protect a child
Tap each one. Most have research behind them; the first is the foundation of child-development science. Every one of them costs nothing.
🤱1. A calm, warm adult
A small child cannot calm herself yet. She leans on the adult beside her. Your slow voice and your steady face are her first calming tool. Calm responses matter: in one study, parents who punished children aged 6 to 9 for not saying thank you had children with more worry and low mood later, while calm responses went with fewer.
Hussong et al., Journal of Family Psychology, 2022 (101 families).
🕰️2. Steady daily rituals
Evidence A review of 50 years of research linked family routines and rituals with children who cope better and families who feel closer.
Fiese et al., Journal of Family Psychology, 2002.🌙3. A bedtime routine
Evidence The more nights a week the same bedtime routine, the faster children fell asleep and the longer they slept.
Mindell et al., Sleep, 2015.💬4. Talking about shared memories
Evidence In a year-long trial, mothers coached to talk over shared memories with their toddlers (open questions, adding detail, following the child) had children who, as teenagers, told clearer stories about their lives and reported fewer emotional problems.
Mitchell & Reese, Journal of Personality, 2022 (115 families, randomised).🌳5. Knowing her family's story
Evidence Children who knew more about their family's history (how their parents met, where their grandparents grew up) had higher self-esteem and lower anxiety. A small study, and a link rather than proof, but a lovely one.
Duke, Lazarus & Fivush, Psychotherapy, 2008.🍽️6. Family meals
Evidence In a study of 4,746 adolescents, those who ate more family meals had fewer signs of low mood. Start the habit while she is small.
Eisenberg et al., Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2004.🧩7. Real play she leads
Time to play, struggle a little, and solve things her own way, with you nearby but not directing. Researchers who study the loss of children's independent play argue it builds the confidence that protects against anxiety.
Gray, Lancy & Bjorklund, Journal of Pediatrics, 2023.Check your margin
Count how many of the seven your home already has most days. Don't aim for all seven this week. Pick the one that is easiest to add, and do it every day for a month.
Where our tradition already does this
Look at the list again. Steady rituals, a bedtime prayer, family meals, stories, knowing your elders. None of this is new. It is how Indian homes were built.
🪔The evening lamp
Tradition The same small act, at the same hour, every day: a steady ritual a child can count on.
🙏The bedtime shloka
Tradition A short prayer at the end of the day, said the same way each night: a built-in bedtime routine. Karacharana kritam va even asks forgiveness for the day's mistakes, so she sleeps with a clean slate.
👵Dadi and Nani's stories
Tradition Stories of gods, and stories of "when your Papa was small": both carry the family's history to the child.
🍛Eating together
Tradition The family meal, with a prayer of thanks before it, is one of our most ordinary rituals, and one of the most valuable.
🎉Festivals done with your hands
Tradition Rangoli, modak, lamps, golu: every festival gives a child something to do with family, year after year, and a clear sense of "this is who we are".
One Gita line for the parent. Matra-sparshas tu Kaunteya, shitoshna-sukha-duhkha-dah, agamapayino 'nityas, tams titikshasva Bharata.
In plain words: cold and heat, joy and sorrow come from our contact with the world. They come and they go; they do not stay. Bear them patiently.
When her big feeling arrives, this is a line for you, not a lesson for her. Say to her: "This big feeling is like rain. It will pass. I am here."
Bhagavad Gita 2.14.When to talk to a doctor
All children have worries, fears and bad days. That is normal and healthy. Talk to your paediatrician if a worry or low mood goes on for weeks, if it stops her from everyday things like eating, sleeping, playing or going to school, or if your gut tells you something is off. Asking early is a sign of a caring parent, never a failure.
In India you can also call Tele-MANAS on 14416, the government's free, 24-hour mental health helpline, in your own language.
Read next in this series
- Why should children learn Indian culture and values? Read
- Shlokas for kids, for every moment of the day Read
- 10 Indian values and the story behind each Read
Questions parents ask
Why are more children anxious and depressed today?
Scientists still disagree. Screens, less free play, less sleep and loneliness are all being studied, and no single cause explains it. The rise is clearest among older children and teenagers; for under-6s there is no clear evidence of a rise.
Is anxiety increasing in young children?
For children under six, no study we found shows a clear rise. Anxiety can be diagnosed in some 3-year-olds, and it often continues to age 6, which is why the early years are a good time to build protection.
How can I protect my child's mental health?
Seven free things have research behind them: a calm, warm adult; steady daily rituals; a bedtime routine; talking about shared memories; knowing her family's story; family meals; and real play she leads.
Do screens cause anxiety in children?
The research is mixed. Large analyses find screen use explains only a small part of differences in teenage wellbeing, while other researchers think it matters more. What screens replace, like sleep, play and talk, may matter as much as the screen itself.
Can Indian culture and rituals help children's mental health?
No study tests Indian rituals directly, but research on family rituals, bedtime routines, family storytelling and family meals links each with children who cope better. Our traditions are built around exactly these.
When should I see a doctor about my child's anxiety?
If a worry or low mood lasts for weeks, stops her from everyday things like eating, sleeping, playing or school, or your instinct says something is wrong. Asking early is always fine.
If we want thoughtful adults tomorrow, we must be equally thoughtful about childhood today.
Manjunath · father, ex-VinFast lead design engineer, founder of VedaPlay
Follow the build, and the stories we test at home, on Instagram: @manjunath.build
Sources
- World Health Organization (2025). Mental health of adolescents, fact sheet.
- Lebrun-Harris LA et al. (2022). JAMA Pediatrics 176(7):e220056.
- Bufferd SJ et al. (2012). American Journal of Psychiatry 169:1157-1164.
- Orben A, Przybylski AK (2019). Nature Human Behaviour 3:173-182.
- Gray P, Lancy DF, Bjorklund DF (2023). Journal of Pediatrics 260:113352.
- Mindell JA et al. (2015). Sleep 38(5):717-722.
- Fiese BH et al. (2002). Journal of Family Psychology 16(4):381-390.
- Mitchell C, Reese E (2022). Journal of Personality.
- Duke MP, Lazarus A, Fivush R (2008). Psychotherapy 45(2):268-272.
- Eisenberg ME et al. (2004). Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 158(8):792-796.
- Hussong AM et al. (2022). Journal of Family Psychology 36(1):80-91.
