Vandana Luthra has spoken of her grief after her daughter Naina Mishra, a promising young professional, died in October 2024 following a mental health crisis. Naina, 21, had seemed destined for a bright future, having interned at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey before securing a job as a business analyst at McKinsey in New York. However, she began to withdraw from friends and family, experiencing paranoid thoughts that ultimately led to her death.
Naina first arrived at a yoga studio in Euston, London, in January 2022, attending daily classes. Her teachers, Hamish Hendry and Louise Newton, described her as focused and ambitious, with clear goals of becoming a CEO and having a family. After leaving London in May 2022 to start her career, she returned in November 2023 as a changed person, zoning out during practice and speaking of intrusive thoughts.
Throughout 2024, Naina's behaviour became increasingly erratic. She changed addresses frequently, claimed she was being followed, and told her yoga teachers she had bought entire product ranges from high-end brands. In August 2024, she messaged Hendry saying people were following her and that she would change her name. Despite attempts to signpost her to mental health services, she kept changing her phone number and eventually lost contact with the studio.
Meanwhile, Vandana had been desperately searching for her daughter, whom Naina had told others was dead. Vandana, who lives in Hong Kong, took a sabbatical from her finance job to find Naina, believing her life was at risk. The family has a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia in Naina's grandmother. Vandana recalled that a teacher had once advised her to quit her job to be there for her quiet daughter, a memory that now haunts her.
Naina's story highlights the challenges of recognising mental illness in young adults and the powerlessness of parents when their children refuse contact. Vandana hopes that by sharing her experience, others may recognise the signs and intervene earlier to prevent similar tragedies.
