Psychologist suspects lack of attention for the victim

The need for attention and affection had been so much that the girl cooked up an elaborate and detailed story, say psychologists; ruing that Indian parents within the present generation seldom have time for their children’s needs and concerns. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. It occurs across all age groups, but is twice as common among females compared to males, mental health physicians opine. They say depression is treatable, provided the treatment starts as early as possible.

Dr Purnima Nagaraja, a mental health professional, said: “We have ultra nuclear families these days, with only one child and parents; without any extended relatives. Involvement of parents in a child’s life is very less in such cases.”

Everyone is busy with their social and work life, leaving very less time to bond with their children. “Further, a lot of Indian parenting is authoritative. Parents are more into remote-control parenting, giving commands to the child. This puts children under a lot of pressure,” she said.

The doctor explained: “Indian parents think that if they praise or compliment their child, they will go out of hand. This is very wrong as constructive criticism should be encouraged at home. What the 19-year old cooked up was considerable over-dramatisation. It shows need for recognition and limelight she craved.”

However, Dr Nagaraja said, the girl did not see the consequences. “The whole thing backfired as the parents might have faced a lot of social pressure, with the case going viral within a few days. They might have been hard on her at home and warned her even harshly. We know how big a deal reputation for Indian families is,” Dr Nagaraja added.