Calling on the collective village to tackle youth suicides in India

India's alarming youth suicide rate demands urgent collective action. With significant factors like exam stress and unemployment affecting mental health, reforms are essential. Engaging youth voices in policymaking is crucial for effective solutions.

Sukriti Chauhan (CEO, ETI Services)

India has the largest rate of suicides in the world, and distressingly, 40% of Indians who die by suicide are under the age of 30. Every young life lost extinguishes a bright future, and with a whopping 382 million young people in this country, the loss of these lives trickle into the nation’s economy and society. Exam-related stress, unsafe home environments, unemployment, social isolation, and relationship problems all contribute to poor mental health for youth. In marginalized communities, differences in access to resources and a lack of readiness to speak about mental health ensure that the effect of these factors is compounded. The voices and needs of youth, especially marginalized youth, are often far from the interventions and policies that are designed to address their well-being. The issue is therefore systemic and requires collective efforts across stakeholders to address the well-being of India’s youth.

The state of youth mental health is driven by many different factors. Data suggests that exam-related stress is an important factor to consider, as 13,000+ students were reported to have died by suicide in India in 2022, and 2,000 of these deaths were related to exam stress. For those from low-income backgrounds, this pressure is often aggravated due to gaps that exist in academic and social-emotional learning.

Resources for mental health in schools and universities fail to address the heterogeneity of young people’s lived experiences. When students try to access resources, an absence of sensitization training leads to uncomfortable and, at times, traumatizing experiences for young people. Queer youth and young women especially face judgment from counsellors, faculty members, and peers alike.

For many youth, a lack of supportive environments extends to the home. Stringent family expectations and domestic violence lead to increased anxiety and depression. In 2022, 32.4% of youth suicides were due to family issues. Girls, young women, and queer youth have the added burden to uphold gender norms and fight stigma.

Mental health stigma, both outside and at home, leads to social isolation. Social media serves as a double-edged sword, at times providing access to community, and at other times, further isolating young people from systems of support within their reach. Importantly, romantic relationships play a significant role in loneliness for young people. In 2022 alone, 6,356 adolescents and young people died by suicide due to love affairs gone awry.

Unemployment is another factor affecting young people’s mental health. While government efforts have significantly pushed youth unemployment rates down, only 54.8% of India is considered employable. Frustrated aspirations, skill mismatch, and fears of AI compound these anxieties. For rural youth, young women, and disabled youth, gaps in digital literacy and work ready skills serve as major barriers to participating in the modern workforce.

To address the layers of exclusion, stigma, and inaccessibility that plague youth mental health in India, coordinated efforts need to be made across institutions, policymakers, and service providers. A necessary first step is more frequent and comprehensive data collection that reflects the diversity and changing needs of India’s youth. Young people need to be at the centre of this exercise, to ensure that the data informs more holistic policy and resource dissemination efforts.

Policy reform should go hand in hand with strengthening existing resources. This includes capacity building for service providers through sensitization trainings, learning from global best practices, and focusing on the needs and realities of marginalised youth. Our mental health response has to be flexible and reflective of the varied experiences of young people. This could take the shape of a platform for policymakers and decision makers to regularly hear the concerns and views of young people from diverse communities.

De-stigmatisation of mental health needs to be driven by community members and young people. Local leaders and decision makers play an important role in removing shame from concepts of mental health. Intergenerational dialogues, and peer support groups are essential, particularly for young people in rural and tier 2-3 cities, who may not identify with urban-led discussions on mental wellbeing.

The future of this country is predicated on the wellbeing of our youth. With the demographic dividend closing on us by 2056, action needs to be taken now. We have a shared responsibility to shape leaders of tomorrow who are resilient, productive, and most importantly, happy.

Sukriti Chauhan (CEO, ETI Services) and Anandmayee Singh (Advisor, ETI Services)