World Mental Health Day 2026: Why ‘Just Talk To Someone’ Isn’t A Student Mental Health Strategy

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India recorded 13,892 student deaths by suicide in 2023, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). That works out to roughly 38 a day.

The figure has risen by 72.9 per cent since 2014, and students now account for 8.1 per cent of all suicides in the country.

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Behind those numbers sits an uncomfortable question about student mental health in India. Students are told, again and again, to speak up. Far less is said about who is waiting when they do.

"Asking students to talk about their problems is reasonable advice. Treating that advice as a mental health strategy is where institutions fall short," says Dr Sabine Kapasi, CEO, Enira Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Founder, ROPAN Healthcare and UN Advisor.

When A Friend Is Not Enough

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Take a student who finally finds the courage to tell a friend about persistent anxiety, sleeplessness or feelings of hopelessness. What happens next depends entirely on the support around them.

"A friend can listen and encourage the student to seek help, but cannot be expected to assess clinical risk or provide treatment," Dr Kapasi explains.

If a counsellor is unavailable, appointments are hard to get or follow-up is uncertain, the student is left to manage the next step alone. "This is the gap that campus mental health policies need to address."

The Early Years Of A Lifelong Condition

Campuses are where the stakes are highest. Research by Ronald Kessler and colleagues at Harvard Medical School, published in Archives of General Psychiatry, found that half of all lifetime mental disorders begin by age 14 and three quarters by age 24.

Students at colleges and universities are dealing with academic pressure, financial worries, changing relationships and the move to independent living. For some, anxiety or low mood will pass. For others, it will not.

"For others, symptoms persist and begin to affect sleep, attendance, relationships and academic performance. The distinction requires attention, and in some cases, clinical assessment," says Dr Kapasi.

Faculty members and hostel wardens are often the first to notice a change in behaviour, and they can point students towards help. But their role, Dr Kapasi says, "should be to identify warning signs and make referrals rather than act as a mental health professional."

Awareness programmes have a place too. "But trained professionals determine what happens after that first conversation."

Help That Exists, But Cannot Be Reached

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Having a counselling service does not mean students can use it. Cost, class schedules, privacy worries and doubts about confidentiality all shape whether a student walks in.

The 2024-25 Healthy Minds Study, a survey of more than 84,000 students at 135 colleges, found that 37 per cent reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Only 60 per cent of those experiencing depression or anxiety were receiving clinical treatment.

For Indian campuses, the barriers can be quite ordinary. A counselling service open only during lecture hours is hard to reach. A student worried about being judged may hesitate to enter a visibly identified office. Another may not know whether what is said in a session will reach parents, faculty or the administration.

Dr Kapasi's answer is practical: free or low-cost sessions, appointment times that fit academic schedules, and clear explanations of confidentiality, including when information may have to be shared over a serious safety concern. "Counselling should be easy to access without making students feel that seeking help will affect their academic standing or reputation."

One Appointment Is Rarely Enough

Support often arrives as a response to a crisis, during examinations or after a personal setback, with little certainty about what follows.

Mental health care, Dr Kapasi points out, "often requires more than one appointment." Counsellors need time to understand a student's situation and see whether symptoms are improving. Students who need psychiatric care should have referral arrangements with qualified specialists and healthcare facilities.

Staffing is part of the problem. "A counsellor responsible for several thousand students will struggle to provide timely appointments and regular follow-up to everyone who needs support."

Care should not stop at the campus gate either. Students who graduate, relocate or leave should receive appropriate referrals "rather than lose access to support because their time on campus has ended."

What The Supreme Court Has Asked For

On 25 July 2025, the Supreme Court directed that educational institutions with 100 or more students appoint or engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health, as reported by SCC Online. Smaller institutions were told to set up referral arrangements with external professionals. The directions also covered institutional mental health policies and records of interventions and referrals.

Dr Kapasi sees the directive as a foundation, but says its impact will depend on implementation. Institutions need to hire qualified professionals, set aside recurring funds and put clear procedures in place.

The test, she says, should be what students actually receive: "timely appointments, regular follow-up, completed referrals for specialist care and clear information on confidentiality." These measures, in Dr Kapasi's words, "offer a more reliable assessment of institutional commitment than the number of mental health awareness events conducted each year."

Beyond Awareness Week

Faculty, wardens and student representatives should know how to recognise warning signs and refer students to trained professionals. Institutions should have defined referral pathways, monitor their counselling capacity and use of services, and safeguard students' privacy. Where screening is introduced, it should come with clinical assessment and follow-up.

None of this means students should stop talking. "We still need to get students talking about mental health. It helps reduce stigma and can make it easier for someone to acknowledge that they are struggling. But the responsibility cannot end with the student finding the courage to speak."

Bottomline

The first sentence a struggling student says out loud is only the beginning. What matters is whether a qualified person is there to hear it. "Until that support is reliably available, telling students to talk to someone remains an appeal for help rather than a strategy for providing it," Dr Kapasi says.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional. Tele-MANAS, a free national helpline run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is available 24x7 on 14416 or 1800-891-4416, in around 20 languages.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.