Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) On account of World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October, mental health advocate and entrepreneur Ira Khan, also known for being Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s daughter, shared a video talking about the issue. In
her video, Ira was seen elaborating on the topic of mental health and what causes it! “But why? Why do mental illnesses occur? They actually occur for the same reasons that physical illnesses occur in the sense that different illnesses, mental or physical, happen for different reasons.”
She further elaborated, “You don’t usually get a straight simple answer when it comes to mental illnesses because they happen for multiple reasons, many factors coming together and a lot of them are not visible. What this means is that we can’t predict mental illness.”
Khan further stated, “You could technically go back and try and analyse every single bit of your life and every factor and try and piece together why it happened if you had the brain of a computer but we don’t and it’s unhelpful.” She further highlighted the solution. “What’s helpful is treating the mental illness, moving forward and getting better.
For that purpose it’s important to understand that mental illnesses occur for three different types of factors,” Ira said. “The first one is biological factors, the structure of your brain, your genetics, your hormones and your chemicals. The second set of factors are psychological factors, any trauma or abuse, conditioning, habits, belief systems. The third type of factor is social factors, unemployment, climate change, relocation, war, poverty,” added Ira. She further said, “These would be your social or environmental factors. Why is this important? Because if you understand this and if you’re able to affect and change these factors, they become part of your treatment plan. That’s how you get better, by taking control of the things that you can, working on these biopsychosocial factors and getting better.”
Ira, concluding the video stated, “Mental illness can be scary because we’ve recently started to figure it out and like I said a lot of these factors are not necessarily visible to us but mental illness is painful, scary but not shameful and treatment is available.” Ira captioned the detailed video as, “WHY DO MENTAL ILLNESSES HAPPEN? We have an answer. Even if it’s a little long and you may not like it.” She further elaborated, “Mental illnesses don’t happen because of one event or one mistake. They occur when biological, psychological, and social factors come together – genetics, stress, environment, life experiences, and more. They’re not predictable. They’re not a reflection of your worth. And they’re definitely not something to be ashamed of.”
She further wrote, “Understanding why can help… but what’s even more powerful is focusing on what now. Because that’s where treatment, growth, and recovery begin. Mental illnesses are scary and painful, but they are not shameful. And most importantly – help and treatment are available.” Talking about Ira Khan, the daughter of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan had herself opened up on her own struggles of dealing with mental health scares.
The entrepreneur is the proud founder of her foundation that works towards the mental wellness of people in need. In her podcast series, the young girl talks about mental health and spreads awareness through the same platform. The first episode of her podcast titled “The Curious Case of…” premiered on August 17, 2025, across multiple online platforms.
The podcast, as explained by Ira, has been designed to spread awareness and invite viewers to understand the complexities of mental health. Ira Khan, unlike other stars hailing from Bollywood families, never showed any interest in venturing into the entertainment business, like her father.
She has been making a difference in society through her own ways and succeeding on her own merit.
–IANS
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