NEET, JEE Exams Are Causing a Mental Health Crisis in India: Students Are Struggling to Cope

A significant number of students, some as young as 14-15 years old, begin preparing for the highly competitive NEET and JEE exams. Many face pressure from their families to excel and secure admission to top technical and medical colleges. These young students fear disappointing their parents if they fail. Many join coaching institutes, which, while providing teaching, unfortunately create a stressful environment with long study hours. Students feel pressured to secure top ranks in internal exams at these institutes, believing it will guarantee them a seat in a prestigious college.

Competitive exams like JEE and NEET were intended to build careers but have sadly become a major source of stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues among many young Indians. The recent NEET 2024 controversy has only worsened the situation, leaving lakhs of aspiring medical students uncertain about their future.

Alarming Suicide Rates

A 2023 study by Lokniti-CSDS in Kota found that over 85% of students spend six to seven hours daily in coaching classes, with some stretching it to eight hours. More than 80% of students want at least one day off for leisure activities to relieve the burden of studying. Some students reported increased feelings of loneliness, mood swings, fatigue, anger, sadness, and depression since moving to Kota. Many started sleeping later than usual, leading to poor sleeping patterns that impact their mental health.

India has the highest number of suicides globally, with over 2.6 lakh cases annually. According to the World Health Organization, the average suicide rate in India is 10.9 per lakh population. Tragically, India also reports one of the highest youth suicide rates. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that one student took their own life every 42 minutes in 2020, averaging 34 student suicides per day.

In 2020, 11,396 suicides of students below the age of 18 were reported across India. About 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021, accounting for more than 35 suicides daily, a 4.5% increase from the 12,526 deaths in 2020. Of these, 864 out of 10,732 were attributed to “failure in examination,” according to NCRB’s Accidental Death and Suicide in India report 2021.

The suicide rate among students is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 13,000 students died in 2022, according to the latest NCRB report on accidental deaths and suicides. Students accounted for 7.6% of all suicide deaths that year. The report also revealed that the highest percentage of deaths was among people with secondary-level education, amounting to 23.9% of all suicides.

Seven students allegedly died by suicide hours after the Telangana State Board released the results of the Intermediate Public Examination 2024. In 2019, 22 students took their own lives in the state after the intermediate results were released. According to the Ministry of Education, 122 students from IITs, NITs, central universities, and other central institutions died by suicide between 2014 and 2021. The increasing suicide rate among students in Kota has become a concern for governments, parents, and students.

Several measures have been taken by the government to prevent children from slipping into depression. One important step is arranging students into sections alphabetically instead of by rank. This helps reduce unhealthy competition and stress among young people.

Mental Health Crisis

Despite the disturbing consequences, addressing mental health issues in India is challenging. The social stigma associated with these issues complicates the situation. The prejudice against consulting a psychiatrist or counselor leads to delays in addressing anxiety and depression.

Moreover, there is a lack of good mental health professionals and services in the country, with only 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.07 psychologists, and 0.07 social workers per 1,00,000 people. In comparison, developed countries have 6.6 psychiatrists per 1,00,000 people. The global average number of mental hospitals is 0.04 per 1,00,000 people, while in India, it’s only 0.004. Removing the social stigma associated with mental disorders and seeking help, along with increasing the number of mental health professionals, can lead to effective treatment.

Parents and teachers should monitor behavioral changes in children and engage in conversations to understand their problems. We need to ensure that no child feels so helpless that they consider taking their own life.

Additionally, children should be encouraged to cultivate hobbies such as singing, dancing, painting, writing, reading, or cooking. These activities can help them de-stress. It’s important to develop efficient coping mechanisms to deal with the pressure of competing in exams. Remember, they are not alone; they can always seek help from loved ones, and suicide is not the solution.

Manavi Nandini has passed her class 12 exam from Bal Bharati Public School, Brij Vihar, and is currently looking for career options. Sanjay Kumar is a professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in Delhi. Views are personal.

(Edited by Ratan Priya)