Table 1 presents the age distribution of respondents. Majority of respondent were found in 22-24 age group i.e. 36.6 percent followed by 25-27 age group i.e. 31.7 percent, 16.7 percent of respondent were 19-21 year old age and 15.00 percent of respondent were from 28to 30 age group.

Table 2 shows the gender distribution of respondents: 30 (50%) were male and 30 (50%) were female, indicating equal representation of both genders.

Table 3 shows respondents’ current level of education. Most respondents are postgraduates (35; 58.3%), followed by undergraduates (22; 36.7%), while a small proportion are high school students (3; 5%).

Table 4 shows respondents’ awareness of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. A majority, 36 (60%), are aware of the Act, while 24 (40%) are not aware.

Table 5A presents respondents’ overall knowledge of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Most respondents fall in the poor (31.7%) and average/good (26.7% each) categories, while 11.7% have very good knowledge and only 3.3% have very poor knowledge.

Table 7: presents respondents’ opinions on whether the Act helps reduce mental health stigma.

Most respondents (93.3%) agreed that it helps reduce stigma, while a small proportion (6.7%) disagreed

Table 8 shows how often respondents come across information about the Act. A majority, 24 (40%), reported that they rarely encounter such information. Meanwhile, 14 (23.3%) come across it occasionally and 13 (21.7%) frequently. A smaller number, 5 (8.3%), experience it very frequently, while 4 (6.7%) said they never come across it.

 

Table 9 shows respondents’ awareness of documents related to the Act. A slight majority, 31 (51.7%), have read such documents, while 29 (48.3%) have never heard of them.

Table 10 presents the sources from which respondents obtain information about the Act. Social media is the most common source (15; 25%), followed by educational institutions (13; 21.7%) and mental health organizations (10; 16.7%). Other sources include health professionals (8; 13.3%), news (7; 11.7%), family and friends (5; 8.3%), and internet articles and blogs (2; 3.3%).

Table 11 shows how often respondents read mental health articles or blogs on the internet. Most respondents, 21 (35%), read them occasionally, followed by 16 (26.7%) who rarely do. Meanwhile, 10 (16.7%) never read such content, 7 (11.7%) read it frequently, and 6 (10%) always do.

Table 14 shows respondents’ views on awareness of the Mental Health Act. A majority, 42 (70%), believe there is not enough awareness in their community or educational institution, while 18 (30%) feel that awareness is sufficient.

Table 15 shows respondents’ comfort level in discussing mental health with friends or family. Most respondents are neutral (21; 35%) or comfortable (20; 33.3%), while 10 (16.7%) are very comfortable. A smaller proportion feel uncomfortable, with 5 (8.3%) very uncomfortable and 4 (6.7%) uncomfortable.

Table 16 shows respondents’ views on stigma related to mental health. A large majority, 49 (81.7%), believe mental health issues are often stigmatized in society, while 11 (18.3%) do not share this view.

Table 17 shows respondents’ views on reducing stigma through open discussion. A strong majority, 54 (90%), believe that openly discussing mental health can help reduce stigma, while 6 (10%) do not agree.

Table 18 shows respondents’ views on the importance of mental health awareness among youth in India. A large majority consider it important or very important, with 22 (36.7%) rating it as important and 29 (48.3%) as very important. Meanwhile, 7 (11.7%) are neutral, and only 1 (1.7%) each consider it slightly important or not important.

Table 19 shows how often respondents participate in mental health awareness activities or campaigns. Most respondents participate rarely (17; 28.3%) or occasionally (14; 23.3%). Meanwhile, 12 (20%) never participate, another 12 (20%) participate frequently, and 5 (8.3%) participate very frequently.

Table 20 shows respondents’ views on including mental health education in school/college curricula. A majority consider it important or very important, with 17 (28.3%) rating it as important and 27 (45%) as very important. Meanwhile, 14 (23.3%) are neutral, and only 1 (1.7%) each feel it is slightly important or not important.

Table 21 shows respondents’ willingness to recommend mental health awareness programs to their peers. Half of the respondents (30; 50%) are likely to recommend them, while 8 (13.3%) are very likely. Meanwhile, 20 (33.3%) are neutral, and a small proportion, 2 (3.3%), are unlikely to recommend such programs.

Table 22 shows respondents’ opinions on government funding for mental health. A large majority, 53 (88.3%), agree that the government should allocate more resources for mental health awareness and treatment, while 7 (11.7%) do not agree.

Table 23 shows respondents’ willingness to participate in a national mental health awareness campaign. A majority, 47 (78.3%), are willing to participate, while 13 (21.7%) are not willing to do so.

 

Table 24 shows respondents’ perceptions of the effectiveness of mental health laws in India. A majority, 44 (73.3%), believe that the current laws are effective in protecting the rights of individuals with mental health conditions, while 16 (26.7%) do not agree.