More than 140 million people in India are living with mental health conditions , but nearly 80% of them do not have access to the care they need. Adding to the challenge is the way mental health issues are portrayed in the media, with reporting often falling short of established guidelines and, at times, reinforcing stigma through sensationalism and a lack of objectivity.




These concerns were flagged at a recent Unicef India roundtable on mental health and responsible media reporting, which highlighted how poor awareness and inconsistent adherence to reporting guidelines can contribute to inaccurate, sensational and stigmatising coverage.




A qualitative media-tracking exercise shared by Unicef India at the roundtable found that while India has guidelines for reporting suicide, awareness of and adherence to them remain limited. Their consistent application, particularly in coverage of mental health conditions, is also a concern.




According to the National Crime Records Bureau , a little over 1.7 lakh people died by suicide in 2024, including 14,488 students and 11,184 children below the age of 18.




Chairing the roundtable, Jesper Moller , Unicef deputy representative (programmes), called on the media to play a constructive role in addressing the challenge.




“Reducing stigma requires a public conversation that builds understanding and trust in concerns relating to mental wellbeing. The media can play a vital role in promoting supportive environments, reducing discrimination and encouraging access to care,” he said.




Tanya Fernandes of Pune-based Centre for Mental Health and Policy said the ministry of health and family welfare launched Project SIREN (Suicide Reporting Watch India) in 2020 to monitor the quality of suicide reporting in print and digital publications.




The project assessed English-language publications against WHO guidelines , drawing up positive and negative scorecards. It covered 18 newspapers across 107 city editions and scanned 16,219 reports and articles on suicide.




Fernandes said mentioning the method of suicide was the most common violation, featuring in 81% of reports. As many as 76% carried photographs or used “attention-grabbing” headlines, while 61% reduced the reason for suicide to a single factor.




On the positive side, 49% of reports verified information and facts with official sources, while 26% provided information that was up to date and operational.




India, however, has very few studies examining how mental health conditions are reported in the media, as distinct from suicide coverage.




Sonia Sarkar of Unicef said people are frequently identified by their diagnosis, allowing the condition to become their identity. A person with schizophrenia, for instance, may be described as a “psycho”, while someone with bipolar disorder may be casually labelled “so OCD”.




Media imagery also often associates mental illness with darkness, while treatment, support and recovery receive inadequate attention. “Readers are left thinking conditions are permanent,” she said.




Zafrin Chowdhury, Unicef chief of communication, said responsible suicide reporting must avoid sensationalisation, speculation about the reasons behind a death, descriptions of suicide methods and details that could identify vulnerable individuals.




“Our (Unicef) objective is to promote responsible journalism that helps build social understanding and support for mental health and reduces stigma,” she said.




A 2020 study published in BMJ found that extensive media coverage of a known personality was associated with a 13% rise in suicide risk. It also found a 30% increase in deaths by the same method when the method was reported.