Mumbai, Mar 17: New insights from Mpower an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust’s mental health programmes highlight growing emotional pressures among women in Mumbai, with family conflict, relationship stress, and marital challenges emerging as key concerns across age groups. The data also indicates that adolescents are increasingly reaching out for support, reflecting rising awareness and openness around mental health among younger women in the city.
The insights are based on interactions with 249,532 women beneficiaries across Mpower’s counselling centres, helplines, community outreach programmes, school initiatives, and mental health services in Mumbai over the past year.
Among those who sought support:
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200,760 beneficiaries were adolescents (0–17 years), largely reached through school and community outreach initiatives.
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22,940 women were aged 18–25, often seeking support for academic pressure, career uncertainty, and relationship challenges.
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19,864 women were aged 26–49, where counsellors most frequently observed concerns related to marital conflict, relationship stress, and family pressures.
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5,968 women were aged 50 and above, often sharing experiences of family tensions, loneliness, and emotional strain linked to caregiving roles and changing family dynamics.
Mental health professionals note that while outreach programmes account for a large share of adolescent engagement, the increasing number of young women approaching counselling services and helplines reflects growing comfort with seeking help.
Across programmes, counsellors observed that romantic stress, marital conflict, and family tensions frequently emerge in conversations with women navigating changing relationship dynamics, work pressures, and evolving social expectations in urban environments.
Comparative insights from across the West Zone reveal similar trends. Mental health professionals across western India report growing concerns around relationship instability, work-life stress, and emotional burnout, particularly among women balancing professional responsibilities with family expectations.
Together, the insights highlight how shifting social roles, relationship pressures, and family expectations are increasingly shaping women’s mental health experiences in urban India.
Commenting on the findings, Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust and Mpower, said:
“Women’s mental health is shaped not only by individual experiences but by the systems they navigate every day across work, family and society. Through Mpower’s work across cities and communities, we are seeing more women speak openly about their mental health and seek support. As a society, we must respond by building accessible, stigma free ecosystems across homes, workplaces and communities that enable women to prioritise their wellbeing.”
Dr. Harshida Bhansali, Head Pychiatrist, Mpower The centre, Mumbai, added:
“In Mumbai, we are seeing adolescents increasingly engage with mental health programmes through schools and outreach initiatives, which is a positive step toward early support. Among young and adult women, concerns around relationships, family expectations, and emotional burnout are frequently discussed. These insights help us design interventions that are more responsive to the realities women are navigating today.”
Mental health experts say the rising number of women accessing services is also a positive indicator of increasing awareness and reduced stigma around seeking professional support.
The findings underscore the importance of expanding mental health awareness, strengthening counselling services, and building supportive environments across schools, families, workplaces, and communities to help women navigate emotional challenges and build resilience.
