Adhitri Sethuraghavan

Middle School Runner-Up, Grade 8
Carmel, IN

As Minds Collapse: India’s Student Mental Health Crisis 

“What time is it there?” “1 AM,” says my cousin in India nonchalantly.  

“...What are you doing up?” I ask apprehensively.  

“What do you think I’m doing?” 

Of course. Studying for her board exams. 

“This isn’t healthy…how much sleep are you getting, six hours?” 

“Four,” she says matter-of-factly. “But I have no choice. If I fail…it’s over.” 

A Crisis Unfolding 

My cousin is just one of millions of Indian students impacted by pressures of the hypercompetitive standardized exams, but her experience really brought this tragedy home to me. Every year, students slave for exams, suffering from stress, anxiety, and mental health issues.  Basic resources are often unavailable, with over 60% of schools lacking mental health professionals entirely (“India’s Silent Crisis…”). Shocking repercussions result: over 80% of students reported academics as a source of anxiety (Sharma), and 13,000 bright, innocent students were tragically lost to suicide in 2021, simply because they couldn’t get needed help to thrive in an examination setting (ADSI, 2022).

Many issues contribute to this crisis, including economic disadvantage and policy gaps,  and its wide impact makes it one of the most pressing developmental issues facing India today.  After all, it endangers the most vulnerable members of society — children. 

What Makes Minds Crumble 

Economic inequality is chief among factors contributing to this epidemic. Education is seen as a ticket out of poverty, leading to pressure to perform well. This belief comes with an immense cost, with 64.2% of student suicide victims coming from low-income families (Singh). 

Policy gaps also contribute — while the National Education Policy 2020 mandates counseling availability, implementation is inconsistent. School underfunding contributes to this  (Raman and Thomas), along with the fact that only three trained professionals are available for every 100,000 individuals in need (Thelwell). There is little accountability in the system, and this leads to laws being created, but little help for the millions suffering as their sanity crumbles to dust. 

Solutions 

The student mental health crisis is multifaceted, immense, and pressing — but India’s youth doesn’t have to suffer in silence. American students, institutions, and groups can further several solutions to this issue, and thus prevent any more lives from being lost. 

Given school funding was cited as a major barrier to mental health access (Raman and  Thomas), fundraisers hosted in the United States supporting rural schools would go a long way.

This could fund counseling and therapy, helping disadvantaged students escape the cloud around their minds. 

Awareness spread through localized, culturally-sensitive programs could help. Nonprofit organizations like the MINDS Foundation and Sangath enable students to perform self-guided actions like meditating or study planning, and have educated over 155,000 schoolchildren  (MINDS Foundation). Our support from the United States for such organizations will enable them to continue their work, furthering the journey to a world where mental wellbeing is just as important as marks. 

Finally, international advocacy can help ensure mental health standards are tightened by supporting organizations like All India Foundation for Mental Health or NAMI (Thara and  Patel). Digital awareness campaigns, school presentations, and other forms of getting the word out internationally can further assist in guaranteeing care to all students — that no matter where someone is, no matter how severe their problems, no matter how tough the exams or how much the pressure is mounting, someone will be there to listen. 

*** 

“Maybe you should go to bed?”  

“...What?” 

“Go to bed,” I repeat. “You know, it’s when you —” 

“Alright, alright!” she says, and I can hear a trace of a smile. “I do need a  break…goodbye then!” 

“Good night,” I say, smiling, and hang up.