Mounting academic pressure, unmet parental expectations, and the race for academic excellence is driving students in India to resort to unhealthy coping strategies rather than seeking counselling from a professional, a recent report found.

According to the recently released IC3 Student Suicide Report 2025, a majority of students confessed that they cope with stress by distracting themselves through gaming, binge-watching online videos or isolating themselves.

However, a very small fraction turns to healthier practices like exercise, journaling, or therapy, the report found.

Incidentally, in India, the rate of student suicides is rising faster than the national average: 4% each year for the last decade. Among female students, the numbers are even more alarming, with a 61% increase over the past 10 years.

Among the other highlights, the report found that over 40% of students said they deal with stress by isolating themselves, nearly 30% rely on binge-watching shows or endless scrolling while around 25% said gaming was their primary stress reliever.

A small minority of 15% of respondents said that they resorted to journaling, exercising, or seeking counseling.

The report also explored what students consider self-care. They said that Music, sleeping, and memes topped the list of self-care practices. Activities like meditation, yoga, and professional counseling ranked much lower.

This creates what experts call a “self-care mirage” — students believe they are managing stress, but these methods provide temporary relief without long-term benefits.

WHY STUDENTS AVOID REAL HELP

Barrier of stigma
Limited access
Comfort in distraction

Inputs from India Today

Also Read: IIT Kharagpur’s parent induction programme to alleviate mental stress of students