Clinical study finds family conflict outweighs academic stress in students’ mental health struggles
The clinical study was conducted by Cadabams Hospitals, drawing on over 58,000 student touchpoints across 3,569 documented counselling sessions
Recent research conducted by Cadabams Hospitals reveals that family conflict is a more prevalent cause of students' mental health struggles than academic stress. The study, which analyzed 3,569 counselling sessions across 3,569 schools and colleges in Bengaluru, found that anxiety was the most common issue, accounting for nearly one-third of all concerns.
Family conflict ranked second, with a rate of 14%, surpassing academic stress, which was noted in 10% of cases, followed by relationship distress (8%) and loneliness (7%). The highest rates of self-harm concerns were recorded among 16 to 18-year-old students in Pre-University colleges. The mental health needs of students varied significantly across different educational streams, with engineering students commonly seeking help for relationship issues and ADHD-related concerns, while medical students faced the combined stress of academics and clinical responsibilities.
Management and architecture students frequently reported feelings of loneliness, homesickness, and career uncertainty, while law students had the highest incidence of high-risk mental health cases. Neha Cadabam, Senior Psychologist and Executive Director at Cadabams Hospitals, emphasized the importance of creating emotionally safe spaces for students to discuss their home experiences, as many continue to suffer in silence due to the lack of such an environment.
The study was conducted across 20 educational institutions, with 92% of touchpoints originating from Bengaluru.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
