Youth need guidance, support

Globally the youth are facing many issues. The challenges vary from country to country, but there are some basic trials that affect them all. These challenges impact their well-being, opportunities and the overall future.
Many young people lack access to quality education, which can limit their future opportunities. This happens mostly in the third world and developing nations where access to education is a challenge and difficult for those who are braving hostilities, wars and poverty.
Besides, access to education youth also face unemployment and underemployment-which are proving even more significant concerns, particularly in economies with limited job opportunities.
All this is leading the youth to face mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression as these incidences are increasingly prevalent among the young people. Besides, many young people face discrimination and marginalization based on their identity, background, or circumstances.
Importantly, addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive approach that involves governments, educators, employers, and communities working together to support the well-being and success of young people.
In Jammu and Kashmir the young aged people too are affected by the menace and many are resorting to taking an extreme step by ending their lives. Even experts have expressed serious concern over the trend, describing the situation as dangerous and calling for serious measures to be taken to tackle the issue.
The situation can be judged from the fact that the IMHANS-operated Tele-MANAS helpline, launched in 2022 to offer mental health support across Jammu and Kashmir, has received over 90,000 distress calls so far. Since January 2025 alone, more than 15,000 calls have been recorded, highlighting the urgency for comprehensive mental health awareness and support services in the region.
Experts are calling for a multi-tiered approach involving schools, communities, and government institutions to tackle the mental health epidemic in Kashmir before it claims more lives.
Besides, a disturbing pattern of student suicides is being reported and these tragedies underscored the urgent need for a more robust, comprehensive and responsive mechanism to address various factors which compel students to resort to taking their own lives.
The recurring instances of student suicides in higher educational institutions, including private educational institutions, serve as a grim reminder of the inadequacy and ineffectiveness of the existing legal and institutional framework in addressing mental health concerns of students on campuses and to prevent the students from taking the extreme step of committing suicides.
Suicides by young men can have a profound impact on a society, affecting various aspects of community life, social structures, and individual well-being.
The biggest loss to the society is the loss of human capital: The death of young men can result in a significant loss of human capital, as they are often in their most productive years.
We as a society have to act by promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and providing accessible support services so that we can work towards creating a society that values and supports the well-being of all its members, especially the youth.