R.Tejaswini
Mental health issues among college students have surfaced as a major public health concern in India. The rise in levels of anxiety, stress, burnout and emotional distress is caused by academic pressure, career uncertainty, social expectations, financial stress and increased digital engagement. Despite the growing prevalence of disorders, help-seeking behavior remains low due to social stigma, affordability, fear of judgement, lack of awareness and concerns about confidentiality. While social media campaigns, institutional discussions and public discourse have improved awareness, willingness to seek help and access to professional support remains limited. Therefore, this reveals a gap between mental health awareness and help seeking behaviour among college students. Addressing this gap can contribute to enhancing overall student well-being and academic performance.
Widespread issues such as depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders affect interpersonal relationships, academic performance and overall well-being of students. The transitional nature of this life stage involves identity formation, increased independence and adaptation to new education and social settings, making students more vulnerable. Mental health conditions also arise from family expectations, intense academic competition, uncertainty about career and placements. Particularly, students who relocate for education are vulnerable due to reduced social networks, social isolation and increased feelings of loneliness. Understanding these root causes of mental health challenges among students is essential to develop effective institutional interventions and to promote student well-being.
A major gap remains between the need for support and access to professional help among college students, despite growing awareness of emotional difficulties. Limited availability of timely therapy may arise due to shortages of trained counsellors in many institutions. For some students, financial constraints can also make counselling inaccessible. Many students hesitate to seek help despite recognising emotional distress due to the fear of judgement by institutional authorities in colleges. Some institutions have trained counsellors employed on campus, but privacy concerns remain a significant barrier to students seeking help.
The mental health access gap persists in educational institutions and at national level too. The National Mental Health Survey has estimated that nearly 150 million Indians require mental health services, less than 30 million seek professional help. This disparity points not only to barriers such as stigma, affordability, and lack of awareness, but also to broader systemic challenges within India’s mental health infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms.
National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and more recently, the Tele-MANAS helpline were launched in India to address mental health concerns and to expand access to psychological support. Implementation challenges of these initiatives continue to limit their effectiveness among college students. Limited awareness of existing initiatives,uneven availability of services across regions and shortages of trained professionals reduce the reach and impact of these initiatives. Furthermore, institutional mental health policies remain inconsistent across higher education institutions, highlighting the need for stronger implementation, greater resource allocation, and improved integration of mental health services within educational settings.
Accessing support by students can be influenced by various social and cultural factors. Many students avoid seeking care due to stigma or confidentiality concerns and rely on peers. Relying on peers for emotional support, may not provide the required help. Social media has also contributed to a dangerous trend of self-diagnosis, leading students to depend on information online rather than seeking professional help. Cultural stigma and family attitudes of perceiving individuals with mental health challenges as weak, further discourage students from seeking required guidance. Student willingness and help seeking tendencies are influenced by gender-based differences in attitudes towards mental health and awareness disparities among rural and urban populations.
Educational institutions play an important role in addressing barriers to mental health care and promoting overall student well-being. Institutions should install campus counselling centres, create peer support systems and conduct awareness workshops to encourage seeking help and reduce stigma. Campuses should also consider mental health days, flexibility and affordable counselling services to support students with challenges in a better way. The increasing availability of digital mental health platforms and AI chatbots has made accessibility easier to students reluctant to seek in-person help.
The government also plays a significant role in enhancing the mental health infrastructure through funding, policies and awareness campaigns. Families should also create a supportive environment and encourage discussions about mental health. For long-term student well-being, mental health should be integrated into education and public policy frameworks. From a broader perspective mental health challenges are not merely an individual issue but also an educational, social and policy concern too.
The widespread prevalence of mental health challenges, highlights the need for comprehensive support systems beyond just awareness campaigns. Educational institutions, government, families and society play important roles in creating an open environment that encourages help seeking behaviours. Students should have access to affordable, accessible and non-judgemental services to create a conducive environment.Therefore, the mental health needs of students should be addressed to foster academic success, personal development and overall well-being of future generations and the nation’s progress.
About the contributor: R.Tejaswini is a postgraduate student pursuing an M.A. in International Studies at Stella Maris College, Chennai. She holds a B.Sc. in Visual Communication from Loyola College, where she graduated with First Class with Distinction. She is a fellow of the Public Policy and Qualitative Participatory Action Research Fellowship Cohort-7.0.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Shivashish Narayan, a visiting researcher at IMPRI.
