Kanpur: Mental health surveys in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh are challenging the notion that village life is inherently stress-free. A series of mega mental health camps conducted across eight Community Health Centres (CHCs) in Kanpur district have revealed a sharp rise in depression and anxiety among women aged 20 to 40.

Alarmingly, several patients reported recurrent suicidal thoughts, often linked to excessive use of social media, particularly the consumption of short reels late at night.

Doctors and social workers observed that the glamour and perceived perfection portrayed in reels have contributed to self-doubt, sleep disturbances, and family discord among rural women. While interpersonal conflicts and family disputes remained the most common stressors, addiction to mobile reels emerged as a significant compounding factor.

Case studies from Ghatampur and Sarsaul illustrated the pattern: in one instance, a 32-year-old woman attempted suicide after sleepless nights spent on social media escalated family quarrels and depression. Similarly, a 24-year-old woman in Sarsaul developed insomnia, dizziness, and anxiety after prolonged exposure to reels, resulting in suicidal ideation.

Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), including Dr. R. Srinivasan, highlighted that excessive social media use disrupts sleep cycles and intensifies feelings of inadequacy and isolation.

Psychiatric social worker Sandeep Singh noted that rural women often compare their lives to the seemingly glamorous lives depicted in reels, fueling emotional distress and family tension.

Data from the eight CHCs in Ghatampur, Sarsaul, Bilhaur, Chaubepur, Shivrajpur, Bidhnu, Bheetargaon, and Patara showed that out of 2,200 individuals examined, 1,320 were women, with approximately 60 percent diagnosed with depression and anxiety. In contrast, men, mostly over 40, cited stress related to family harmony and concerns about their children’s future.

The National Mental Health Programme mandates at least one mega camp per year at each CHC. Specialists, including psychiatrists Dr. Chiranjeevi and Dr. R.P. Kushwaha and clinical psychologist Sudhanshu Mishra, conducted evaluations, revealing that digital dependency now affects rural communities profoundly.

Beyond depression and anxiety, conditions such as mania, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, epilepsy-like symptoms, and intellectual disabilities were also identified, underscoring the need for consistent psychiatric outreach in underserved districts.

Experts emphasized the gendered impact of the emerging crisis, with women in their 20s and 30s increasingly vulnerable. Mental health activists advocate for interventions beyond annual camps, recommending regular counseling, awareness campaigns, and community-level support networks to address the growing mental health burden in villages intensified by social media exposure.