One of the first times I heard the phrase “depression isn’t real,” was when a family friend wouldn’t publicly accept the fact that their son was having mental health issues and had to take a semester off of college. That moment confused and shocked me, growing up in the United States with so much conversation about the importance of mental health was a stark difference from what I had just heard. I thought about why someone could be saying this– was it the cultural gap, or generational gap? What I came to realize was that it is a little bit of both. The stigma surrounding mental health remains deeply rooted in South Asian communities, even within the US.
In many South Asian communities, mental health is not just a taboo, it’s almost invisible. Generations have grown up learning to suppress rather than express. I learned that this stigma exists due to generational values that prioritize strength, endurance, and community over individuality and self-care. The concept of “society” is huge in South Asia, and something that I have even noticed within my own family is people sacrificing parts of themself so that society doesn’t see them differently, which is a sad reality. There is also a lack of open conversations about emotions in most traditional households. With the cultural emphasis on educational and professional success, mental health is often seen as a weakness. The idea of therapy or medication seemed unnecessary, something for “other people,” not for us.
I’ve seen this contrast most clearly in my own life, between the world I live in and the one I return to when I visit my family abroad. Here in the U.S., discussions around mental health are becoming more open, even encouraged in schools and communities. Yet when I travel to India, I still hear whispers that mental illness is a “Western problem,” or that anxiety is simply “stress that you need to control.” As a South Asian teen growing up between two cultures, I often feel caught in the middle, proud of my roots, but aware that silence still carries so much weight in our traditions.
However, there is hope and things are slowly changing. Westernization and modernization are transforming countries like India and pop culture is working to introduce how significant mental health and self-care are, no matter one’s age, gender, or origin. Public figures and organizations in India are beginning to challenge the stigma that has existed for generations. One of the most influential examples is Deepika Padukone, who shared her own experience with depression and founded The Live Love Laugh Foundation to promote awareness and accessibility. Her honesty sparked a national conversation, proving that vulnerability can be powerful. Other organizations, such as the MINDS Foundation, The Banyan, and the MANAS Foundation, are working to provide education, therapy, and community-based care for those who have long been overlooked.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it begins with small, brave acts: a conversation, a question, a story shared aloud. The stigma around mental health in South Asia is deeply rooted, but so is our capacity for compassion. I’ve realized that the more we speak, the more light we let in. Every time I return to India now, I try to bring these conversations with me. Sometimes it’s through my nonprofit work, sometimes through casual talks with family. Because awareness deepens culture, it doesn’t erase it. Maybe one day, those unspoken minds will finally find the words they deserve.
🪷Resources for Mental Health in South Asia:
RAYs of Thought 
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