Why 1 in 5 Indian Teens Struggle: Our Little Care for Parents

From the initial coo of a newborn to the unspoken intricacies of a teenager's world, all parents across India promise to care for the well-being of their child. We mark milestones: first words spoken, academic victories, and competitive achievements. However, in our shared quest for future success, we most often neglect the most vulnerable and basic aspect of all: mental well-being.

For years, Koott (a name that means 'support,' 'joining,' or 'togetherness' in Malayalam) has been a guiding light for mental health support, establishing an important network for adults who are seeking solace, guidance, and strength. Our purpose has always been to develop a robust, supportive koott for all individuals.

Now, we are excited to announce a major and highly personal extension of our purpose to a pan-India scale. Koott is changing to safeguard and cultivate the minds of the future by launching: Little Care, a specialized platform for child and adolescent mental wellness, and most importantly, for the parents and caregivers who create their world. 

The Silent Crisis of Teen Mental Health in India

The idea to start Little Care was conceived out of a harsh reality - a nationwide epidemic impacting the youngest Indian minds. It is a crisis that calls not only for attention, but for instant specialized intervention.

The Shocking Reality of Childhood Psychological Trauma

• 1 in 5 Teens are Suffering

  From studies of different regions in India, including reports quoting statistics of high-performing states, it has been estimated that up to one in five students in the age group of adolescents (12-19) suffers from some kind of psychological distress. This ranges from depression and anxiety to behavioural disorders.

• The Global Window of Vulnerability

  International and domestic information verify that the beginning of mental illness occurs incredibly early: half of all life-long mental illnesses begin by age 14. This is a critical, non-negotiable moment for intervention.

• The Crisis of Silence and Stigma

  Despite increasing awareness, studies indicate that the cultural stigma surrounding mental illness in Indian settings tends to result in a lethal delay in responding to distress. Parents, in dread of social labelling or ostracism of the child, are reluctant to accept the distress, and trivial problems become full-blown crises.

  
  

• Trauma's Deep Effect: 

  Stunningly high incidence rates of many types of emotional and physical abuse are presented as major factors that stimulate mental diseases among young individuals. Trauma causes profound, long-term wounds, and therefore extensive, family-oriented therapy is necessary.

These numbers tell a telling story. The pressure cooker of contemporary Indian life - everything from academic overcommitment to accelerating social and technological advancement - is swamping the native coping abilities of our children and their families. Our child needs a robust, educated, and empathetic support system.

Why Is Parenting Today So Hard?

​The problems our children are experiencing are not detachable from the problems borne by their parents. The nature of Indian parenthood has undergone changes, introducing new, intricate challenges to the family. 

​The New Challenges for Parents Throughout India

• The Overwhelm of Overprotection

  Motivated by love, ambition, and a desire for their child to thrive in a highly competitive world, many parents fall into parental overcontrol. They might monitor activity constantly or intervene to fix every issue. This parental action, although well-meaning, has clearly been shown through research to actually intensify anxiety in children by disallowing them to build necessary problem-solving competencies and resilience.

• Parental Burnout and Mental Load

  Parents of today are faced with an unprecedented burden - economic, professional, and family. The unnoticed stress, anxiety, or depression one parent bears can directly and deeply affect a child's emotional landscape. A parent cannot be an emotional anchor for a child if he or she is not anchored himself/herself.

  
  

• The Technology Conundrum

  Technology has brought with it new psychological dangers within the home. Parents are lost when it comes to addressing problems such as screen addiction, cyberbullying, and the social media driven anxiety of comparing oneself to others, all without the benefit of a historical guidebook to turn to.

Little Care is set to break through all this complexity and offer a judgment-free, safe space where both generations are able to heal and develop.

Introducing Little Care: A Koott Initiative for Families

Our vision for Little.Care is rooted in the empathetic, evidence-based ideals that characterize Koott. Our nationwide platform exists on the premise that to heal and nurture an effective child, we need to provide the whole support system. We treat not just the symptom, but build up the whole family koott.

How Little Care Supports Children and Parents

1. Specialist Child & Adolescent Care

   Our staff of experts is instructed in state-of-the-art, evidence-based techniques to work with the distinct development requirements of children and youth throughout India. We provide focused help for:

   
   

   • Emotional Regulation: Assisting children to comprehend and manage strong feelings in a positive way.

   • Anxiety and Depression: Building vital coping skills for typical problems such as social fearfulness and school stress.

   • Behavioural Health: Collaborating with parents and children to set clear, loving, and firm boundaries and discipline methods.

   • Resilience and Self-Confidence: Intensive interventions to develop long-term psychological resilience.

   
   

2. ​Empowering Parent Coaching

   A major differentiator of Little Care is our emphasis on the caregiver. We provide parent coaching and workshops that help to empower parents with the applied mental health literacy required. Our programs assist you to:

• Speak with Empathy: Practice being able to speak a language of connection and comprehension rather than one of outright criticism or judgment.

• Establish Healthy Boundaries: Learn how to be warm as well as firm, breaking free from the self-destructive patterns of overcontrol or permissiveness.

• Practice Self-Care: Realize that taking care of your own mental health is the key first step to being able to help your child flourish.

  
  

3. Commitment to Access

   As a pan-India platform, we are dedicated to dismantling geographical barriers. We provide excellent online consulting and tele-counselling services, making expert parenting guidance and specialized child counseling accessible to families across the country, regardless of their location.

A Call to Connection: Join Our Koott

​The silent crisis of child mental health is solvable, but it requires collective courage: courage from parents to look beyond social expectations and courage from the community to normalize seeking help.

To all parents who have ever been concerned about a child's unhappiness or isolation, to all caregivers in search of improved tools, and to all those who know that a healthy child makes for a healthy society: Little.Care is your ally.

We are here to provide you with the tools, the compassion, and the knowledge that your child requires to not only get through the stress of today's world, but to actually thrive. 

Let us collaborate to provide our children with not only academic achievement, but solid, emotional strength.

Call Now. The Help You Need is Available.

Don't wait until the woes turn into crises. If your child or you need guidance, assistance, or just somewhere to vent, the Koott family is here to listen.

Welcome to Little.Care by Koott; here the country's support system for our children begins