<h1 class="ql-align-center">The State of the World's Children 2021 Report</h1> <h2>Context:</h2> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Recently,&nbsp;UNICEF&nbsp;has released The State of the World’s Children 2021. The report details the significant&nbsp;impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health.</li></ul> <h2>About:</h2> <ul><li>The report details the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">State of the World Children’s Report 2021 theme- ‘On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health’.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">It focuses on&nbsp;risks and protective factors&nbsp;at critical moments in the life course and delves into the social determinants that shape mental health and well-being.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">It&nbsp;calls for commitment, communication, and action&nbsp;as part of a comprehensive approach to promote good mental health for every child, protect vulnerable children and care for children facing the greatest challenges.</li></ul> <h2>Findings of Report:</h2> <ul><li>The report has found that around 14 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things. Across 21 countries, the median was one in five young people.</li></ul> <ul><li>In a UNICEF survey, only 41 percent of young people in India were willing to seek support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 percent for 21 countries.</li></ul> <ul><li>As per the report, India was the only one of 21 countries where only a minority of young people felt that people experiencing mental health issues should reach out to others. In every other country, a majority of young people (ranging from 56 to 95 percent) felt that reaching out was the best way to deal with mental health issues.</li></ul> <ul><li>Over 286 million children up to grade 6 were out of school in India between 2020-2021. UNICEF’s rapid assessment in 2021 found that only 60 percent could access digital classrooms.</li></ul>