"Mental illnesses did not exist in our time, why do you struggle with so many mental health issues?"- A father asked his teenage daughter. Talking to the 10th-grader, I discovered that her sister was struggling with depression, but their father was not seeking treatment. He was unaware of the fact that adolescents can suffer from mental illness. Even after learning that one of her classmates committed suicide due to parental scolding over exam results, the father remained unmoved.

In Bangladesh, 361 students, a significant percentage of whom were elementary students, succumbed to suicide between January and August in 2023. According to a study conducted by Aachol Foundation, mental illness, particularly among the youth, has become a silent pandemic, which is often aggravated by social stigma and misapprehension surrounding the condition. Countless parents remain either unaware or in denial regarding their children's mental health issues. This attitude represents a grave challenge that cripples our ability to address this growing crisis.