One in five students rarely feel calm or motivated: Report
Mumbai: Students continue to face high levels of emotional distress, limited access to professional support, and growing uncertainty about their future, even as academic pressure remains the leading source of stress, a report said on Thursday.
One in five students rarely experience the feeling of calm, motivation, or excitement, with girls reporting nearly twice the rate of persistent sadness compared to boys, said the ‘Student Well-Being Pulse’ report prepared by volunteer-based, Mumbai-headquartered IC3 Institute.
Over 40 per cent students are unaware of where to access mental health support in school, and nearly half have never received structured career counseling, an important factor behind rising anxiety about the future, found the report.
Three in four Grade 12 students do not get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep on school nights, often due to academic overload and overthinking, it added.
However, the report found that more schools now recognise the value of counseling, and student awareness of support services is steadily increasing.
The Supreme Court has also emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive school-based counseling systems, lending momentum and credibility to this growing movement, it added.
The Student Well-Being Pulse report is based on an extensive survey among 8,542 students across India by the IC3 Institute.
“This is no longer a silent problem. It is a visible and urgent crisis. While more schools are now offering counseling and students are increasingly aware of where to seek help, almost half of our students still remain unsure, and career anxiety continues to steal their sleep and peace of mind,” IC3 Institute founder Ganesh Kohli said.
He said mental health cannot be treated as optional and every school must make counseling and emotional support part of its core infrastructure, while expanding access, broadbasing programmes, and equipping teachers and staff as trained gatekeepers.
The report further revealed that uncertainty about the future is among the top three stressors for students.
Without clear and consistent career guidance, many feel adrift, compounding the academic pressure that defines much of adolescence. Sleep deprivation, especially among senior students, is at critical levels and directly linked to screen use before bedtime and chronic overthinking, it added.
It found that girls are more likely to internalise stress and avoid professional help, while non-binary students report the lowest overall well-being.
Friends are often the first point of contact for students in distress, yet most peers lack the training to provide effective support, added the report.
