Mpower Survey Reveals 67% of Youth Experience Hopelessness, with Academic and Career Pressures; Only 15% Seek Help
In observance of World Suicide Prevention Day, Mpower, the mental healthcare initiative by the Aditya Birla Education Trust, released eye-opening findings from a survey conducted across 30 colleges across the country. The survey findings reveal a troubling reality where 67.3% of students have felt hopeless at some point, and academic pressure has emerged as the leading cause of distress for 58.4% of respondents.
Despite the high levels of distress, only 15% of students have sought help from a psychologist. When facing a mental health crisis, 58% would turn to a friend first to seek help to discuss the issues, while just 2% would consider reaching out to a counselor or a professor, underscoring the critical gaps in mental health support within educational institutions.
Additionally, 94.4% of the respondents had never used any suicide prevention toolkit or mental health first aid resources. Furthermore, 69% were unaware of the warning signs of suicide, with only 31% recognizing critical indicators like withdrawal from social activities. On a positive note, 62% of students said they would listen without judgment if a friend confided in them about suicidal thoughts.
“These survey findings are a wake-up call,” stated Parveen Shaikh, Vice President-Operations, Mpower. “The fact that such a significant percentage of our youth is feeling hopeless due to academic pressure is deeply concerning. At Mpower, we believe in the power of hope and resilience, which is why this World Suicide Prevention Day, we conceptualised the ‘HOPE’ campaign to engage students creatively and supportively. The power to create a nurturing environment where students can thrive, both academically and emotionally, rests solely in our hands, and we are proactively working towards it.”
In alignment with the theme of ‘HOPE,’ Mpower organized a canvas painting activity across colleges in Delhi, Goa, Kolkata, and Kota which are a part of their COPE (Counseling and Outreach for Peer Empowerment) program. This activity featured a 10ft x 7ft canvas setup where students collaboratively painted a message of hope: “HOPE: Hold On, Persist & Emerge. Choose life – embrace hope and create miracles. This reinforced the message that they are not alone in their struggles. This WSPD 42 colleges where COPE programme is initiated would participate in ‘Open Mike’ activity and enact street plays within their campus to drive further awareness on suicide prevention.
The Campaign is set to directly reach out to over 1 lakh students, providing them awareness on suicide prevention and promoting the Mental Health Helpline number 1800-120-8200-50 in support for their mental health and during distress.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Vishakha Sodhani – Psychologist Mpower – COPE initiative, said: “The survey reveals a startling reality: our youth are navigating immense pressures with limited resources and awareness. When we started with the COPE programme, only students with a personal or familial history of mental health issues were interested in volunteering. However, as these students were trained and their understanding deepened, they not only enriched the learning experience but also became powerful advocates for mental health, helping to prevent many mental breakdown cases among their peers. This peer-to-peer model of organizing initial support has proven effective in raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health in college environments. By fostering open conversations and ensuring that mental health resources are visible and accessible, we can create a supportive atmosphere where every young person feels empowered to seek help and support others in need.”