The Hidden Crisis No One Talks About

According to a 2021 UNICEF report, over 1 in 7 Indian adolescents aged 10 to 19 suffers from mental health issues like anxiety and depression. That’s not a small statistic. That’s Millions of teenagers.

Yet, in India, the emotional pain of students is treated as either drama or disobedience. Schools stress on marks, discipline, and ranks but offer no space for feelings, self-expression, or support.

In a society where mental health is either ignored or misunderstood, most teens are forced to hide their struggles. We are told to "focus on studies" or "stop overthinking". But no one realizes that we are thinking too much. About our marks. About being compared. About what people will say if we fail.

India has made great progress in education, but almost zero progress in emotional education. Our schools are more prepared to handle late fees than mental breakdowns. Even in urban areas, there is still stigma and fear. Teens are scared to open up. They think if they speak about anxiety or stress, people will call them “weak”, “lazy”, or “dramatic”.

But here’s the reality:

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among Indian teenagers.

According to NCRB data, over 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021 alone.

That is the hidden crisis. That is what no one talks about. That is why this article matters.

What’s Causing The Teen Mental Health Crisis?

Teenagers today are living under constant pressure– from schools, families, society, and even themselves. But the system around them refuses to acknowledge how serious this pressure can be.

Let's break down the key reasons:

1. Academic pressure that never ends: Indian education is obsessed with marks. From age 5 to 17, students are judged by numbers– no matter how they feel. Board exams, entrance exams, rankings and performance-based shame are part of daily life. One bad result becomes a reason for guilt, punishment, or comparison. But no one asks, “why did you feel stressed?”' They only ask, “why didn’t you score more?”
2. Parental expectations and comparison: Many parents mean well, but end up damaging self-worth by constantly comparing teens with others. “Sharma ji ka beta” is not a joke– it’s a reason many teens cry alone at night. Instead of emotional support, they get lectures and pressure. This creates deep feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.
3. Schools that focus only on disciple, not emotions: Schools rarely have trained counselors or safe spaces. Teachers are quick to label students or “lazy”, “disobedient”, or “problematic” when in reality, many of those kids are silently battling anxiety, ADHD, or depression. In most schools, getting late is punished, but having a panic attack is ignored.
4. The social media effect: Teens today live both online and offline. On Instagram or snapchat, everyone seems perfect– good looking, happy, successful. But this illusion creates insecurity and a fear of missing out. Many teens measure their self-worth based on likes, comments, or followers and that’s mentally exhausting.
5. The cultural of silence and stigma: Mental health is still treated like a taboo in most Indian households. “Therapy” is seen as shameful, and crying is considered a weakness. As a result, teens are taught to hide pain instead of healing from it. Together, all of this creates a storm of stress inside young minds. And if we don’t act now, the damage will only get worse.

How It Feels to be a Teenager in 2025?

Being a teenager in 2025 means being stuck between expectations and exhaustion.

We are expected to:

• Score well
• Look good
• Be emotionally mature

And stay positive even when we are breaking down inside.

We are stuck in a system that values performance over peace.

You could be crying all night, overthinking everything you said, and still be expected to smile and write your exam the next morning.

You could be silently begging for support, but people will only ask: “kitne marks aaye?”

Even our pain gets ranked:

• “You are just sad, at least it’s not depression”
• “You have anxiety? So many people have it worse”

This constant invalidation makes teenagers bottle up everything. And over time, the pressure builds up.

We learn to fake it.

Fake focus. Fake joy. Fake strength.

It’s not that we don’t want to talk. It’s that we are tired of not being heard.

We hide our breakdowns in bathroom stalls. We listen to music not just for fun, but to escape our minds. We post happy photos and write “I’m fine”, while slowly drowning in thoughts we can’t explain.

Social media makes it worse. You scroll through a feed full of perfect faces, rich lives, toppers, influencers and you start thinking you are not enough. You start to believe that everyone else is doing better than you. But what you don’t realize is: they are probably hiding their pain too.

Some of us are tired of pretending to be strong. Some of us are scared that no one will believe us. And some just want one safe person to say: “It’s okay to not to be okay”.

We don’t want to be treated like rebels, failures, or lazy kids. We want to be seen as humans with thoughts, emotions, confusion, and depth. We want schools, parents, and society to understand that mental pain is real.

That’s what it feels like to be a teenager in 2025.

We are fighting battles inside our minds–and still being judged by how clean our notebooks are.

What India Needs to Do- Now, Not, Later

If India truly wants to raise not just toppers but healthy emotionally stable young people, then mental health can’t be an afterthought. It needs to be a national priority.

1. Make mental health education mandatory in schools.

Mental health should be treated just like physical health. Why do we have classes for Maths, PE, and science but none on how to manage anxiety, deal with peer pressure, or handle emotions?

Schools must include one mental health class per week where students learn to understand and express their feelings without fear.

These should be taught in a language teens understand not boring lectures, but real life conversations, group discussions, and relatable examples.

Just like we teach teens how to calculate profit and loss, let’s teach them how to handle panic attacks, overthinking, and self-doubt.

2. Hire trained mental health counsellors in every school.

This is non-negotiable.

Right now, most Indian schools don’t even have one qualified mental health counselor. That’s shocking, considering how many students go through emotional distress.

• Every school must hire at least one full-time counselor.
• Students should be able to talk to them without needing permission from parents or teachers.
• The sessions should be confidential and non- judgemental.
• Sometimes, a 20-minute conversation with the right person can save a life.

3. Train teachers and parents to understand teen Psychology.

A teen who is constantly late or distracted might not be “disobedient”, they might be depressed, anxious, or mentally exhausted. But most adults are not trained to see this.

• Schools must organize regular mental health training sessions for teachers.
• Parents must be encouraged to attend empathy-based parenting workshops.
• Without adult understanding, student voices will always be silenced.

4. Reduce toxic pressure on marks and rankings.

Yes, academics matter- but not at the cost of a teen’s peace, confidence, or life.

India needs to change how we define “success”

Boards and schools must shift the focus from rote learning to real learning + emotional well being.

• Students must be allowed to fail, try again, and grow without shame.
• A student who scored 60% but feels heard and supported is doing far better than a 95% scorer who cries silently every night.

Changed Won’t Happen in a Day– but it must start today

Teenagers don’t need sympathy. They need systems that care, teachers that notice, and adults who listen.

Let’s create schools, families, and a country where teen minds are valued, not violated.

Because when you protect a teen’s mind, you protect India's future.

If Not Now, Then When?

Teen mental health is not a side issue. It’s not something we can postpone or ignore. It’s a growing crisis that’s shaping an entire generation, one that feels unheard, unseen, and unsupported.

India dreams of becoming a superpower. But no nation can rise while its young minds are silently falling apart.

We need more than awareness. We need action. We need schools that care, families that listen, and a system that values well- being as much as marks.

Because when a teenager says “I’m fine”, they might be screaming inside. And when we finally ask “Are you okay”? Let’s make sure it's not too late.

A Final Thought: Every time we choose to care, we make the world safer for someone silently struggling.

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