UNICEF India brought together senior editors, journalists, mental health experts and people with lived experience at a New Delhi roundtable titled “Words Matter: Responsible Media Reporting to Reduce Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health Stigma and Suicide Prevention,” according to a UNICEF press release dated 4 November 2026. The release described the meeting as taking place that day. Discussions covered responsible language, protecting children's privacy and dignity, and avoiding sensationalism or single-cause explanations.

The release cited World Health Organization figures that one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 globally experiences a mental health condition, and that half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14. It also cited India's National Mental Health Survey 2015-16, which estimated a treatment gap of 84.5 per cent, and the National Crime Records Bureau's 2024 report, which recorded 170,746 deaths by suicide, including 14,488 students and 11,184 children below 18. The release noted these police-recorded figures do not capture the full extent of suicidal distress.

UNICEF's Jesper Moller said many children hesitate to seek care because of stigma. The release said the roundtable leads up to the “Together Against Stigma 2026” global conference, scheduled in New Delhi from 12 to 14 November 2026.