Experts seek mechanisms to address root cause of student anxiety to prevent suicides
Hyderabad: Psychologists said that the issue of student suicides, a distressing reminder of the emotional struggles of a young mind, necessitates a mechanism to address the root cause of issues to rescue those suffering internally.
Citing a marked increase in anxiety and depression among the student community following COVID-19-induced breaks, experts said that competitive curriculum and comparisons with peers demotivate students.
Further, social media is leading to an increased virtual presence, leading to emotional attachments just a click away but can disappear due to lack of a tangible foundation. In such contexts, youngsters need help at appropriate times, but go unnoticed due to multiple reasons, like working parents not finding time, nuclear families, constant migration leading to loss of friends, and parents forcing their aspirations onto their children, experts said.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, over 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2021, accounting for eight per cent of the national total, compared to 6.7 per cent of farmer suicides.
Dr. Anita Rego, who runs a counselling and psychological therapy service, said: “Suicide is an outcome of the dearth of empathising people in families, societies, country. The educational institutions are also not sensitive enough to the changing needs of the youth. They are still going by traditional methodology, taking marks as the single focus.”
She said, “Social skills are taking a step back in the current academic spaces, adding to the family structure changes. Joint families are decreasing and there is a rise in single parents as well. This makes them the connection is becoming lesser and lesser.
Students are taking help from virtual apps and getting into virtual relationships, which are not real. In times of distress, they reach out for help on social media or apps, finding influencers who are untrained. This is the most dangerous phase.”
Aparna Addala, a professional consultant, said: “These days, children are under a lot of pressure either for studies, competition, comparison or influence. These could be self, external, or familial. Ultimately, the child should be able to express themselves to their parents, who should always lend an ear.”
“A great shock of my life when my daughter said she would not pursue engineering, which was my choice for her, but instead opt for law. It is on parents to make such decisions positively and understand why the child has taken the decision. Support from parents is crucial,” she said.
Padmavati, a Central government employee, said: "Parents force their dreams and aspirations on their children. Most parents think they should teach children how to think or what to think. To some extent, this could be the reason why we see generations of families either as doctors, engineers, or lawyers. This is because the future generations are never allowed to explore other avenues. Parents and the education system should give students space to make their choices.”
