Among COVID-19’s many effects on society, one of the most insidious is the way it has affected global mental health, giving rise to new challenges and aggravating pre-existing issues. In this article, Subhra Sarkar, who is currently pursuing a PhD in psychiatric nursing, discusses the ways in which the pandemic has affected the mental health of a large segment of the Indian population.

While the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic are most visible at the level of global health and economy, it is exerting an unseen yet critical impact on our mental well-being as well. In this article, Debdutta discusses the various ways in which the pandemic can prey upon our mental health, and some small steps that can help one stay connected and grounded during the crisis.

In this next article in our series on mental health, Zill-e-Anam discusses the culture of silence that prevents many researchers and students from discussing their mental health issues, thus compounding the problem and delaying treatment for those who need it the most.

We are running a series of articles focused on understanding the interaction between mental illnesses and academic life, and the need for greater awareness and research into the same. Next in this series, Debdutta draws insights from his own experiences in graduate school to suggest what institutions and individuals can do to improve mental health conditions within academic spaces.

We are progressively seeing the signs of a burgeoning mental health crisis in academia. In this new series, we will examine the status of mental health awareness and research in the Indian context, and discuss possible strategies and interventions to counter the issue. In this invited article, Hina Lateef Nizami writes about why we need to break free of the habit of normalizing poor mental health and burnout in academic circles.