Gen Z mental health in India: a story of pressure, pills and privilege

A deep dive into Gen Z mental health in India — how pressure, overstimulation, and rising pill culture shape a generation navigating burnout and imbalance

What’s driving Gen Z’s mental-health crisis in India

Economic uncertainty, cultural expectations, and constant digital stimulation are reshaping how Gen Z mental health in India is understood.

Overstimulation has become Gen Z’s baseline

Raised amid relentless digital noise and hustle culture, many young Indians turn to psychiatric medication in India when exhaustion feels overwhelming.

ADHD and anxiety diagnoses are rising among young Indians

“The young folks aren’t wrong about their suffering. They live in systems that scatter their attention spans." - Dr Meenakshi Chatterjee

When therapy is expensive, medication becomes the easier option

Greater awareness — and misinformation — is driving an increase in ADHD diagnosis in India, antidepressant use, and self-diagnosis online.

Access to treatment still depends on privilege

With the high cost of therapy in India and fewer than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, medication often becomes the most accessible form of care.

Medication helps — but connection heals

Medication provides relief for many, but psychologists emphasise that the nervous system recovers through safe relationships, not isolation.

The real crisis isn’t Gen Z’s pills — it’s culture

Gen Z pill culture is a response to chronic burnout and pressure — a generation adapting to a world that rarely slows down.