49.5% Of Youth in India Deal with Emotional Distress Alone; Only 9.2% Seek Professional Help, Reveals Mpower 2026 Survey
Despite increasing awareness of mental health, young Indians still face emotional challenges, according to a new survey by Mpower, a social enterprise and mental health service provider under the Aditya Birla Education Trust.
The survey titled "Unpack Your Emotional Baggage: A Call to Action for Young Indians to Seek Help During Emotional Distress" gathered responses from young adults aged 18 to 25 from ten key regions in India – Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Jaipur. The study explores emotional stressors, coping strategies, and social reactions to distress among young adults. It lays bare a widespread disconnect between mental health awareness and their willingness or ability to seek assistance.
Although public discussions about mental well-being have grown, findings from the Mpower survey reveal that 49.5% of Indian youth still hide difficult emotions and attempt to deal with them entirely on their own, while a mere 9.2% have sought professional help.
The reluctance to seek support also extends to how young people respond to their own distress, mostly trying to conceal it. 40.9% said they tell others “I’m fine” when they are not. Many reported avoiding conversations about their feelings altogether or keeping themselves constantly occupied to distract themselves from what they are experiencing.
The survey highlights when young adults do open up, dismissive reactions are common. Beyond the dominant 'be strong' response (40.4%), young people frequently encounter advice telling them they are 'overthinking' or urging them to 'focus on work or studies.' Conversely, only 13.6% reported that someone listened without judgment and provided support
“Mental health is far more than a clinical diagnosis like depression or anxiety—it is a way of living, found in how we handle inner thoughts, nurture relationships, and release emotional pain," said Dr. Zirak Marker, Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist, and Chief Medical Adviser at Mpower. "When young people are constantly told to 'be strong,' 'focus on work,' or 'stop overthinking,' their pain gets brushed off. Hiding distress and burying emotions creates a dangerous internal build-up that, in severe cases, can lead to overwhelming despair and even suicide. True prevention means moving past quick brush-offs and embedding mental health education into school curricula for all grades. Only by building empathy and acceptance early can we give young people the safe space, dignity, and professional care they need to health."
The survey also highlights a stark gender split in how emotional baggage is carried:
- Women report higher internal emotional burdens, led by constant overthinking (60% female share), self-doubt (56%), and body image concerns (69%).
- Men show higher representation in external stressors, including work-related stress (57% male share) and financial insecurity (54%).
- Notably, 60% of respondents who do not realize something is wrong until another person points it out were male, highlighting a crucial need for emotional self-awareness among young men.
Alongside this, the survey shows how emotional distress often manifests in everyday life. 47% people reported becoming angry or irritated more easily, followed by difficulty concentrating or enjoying things (36.7%) and an impact on daily work or routine (31.3%).
The survey makes one thing clear: raising awareness is no longer enough. On this World Suicide Prevention Day, the focus must shift from simply talking about mental health to building environments where young people feel safe taking action. Preventing suicide begins long before a crisis occurs it starts by dismantling the stigma, judgment, and dismissive responses that force young adults to suffer in silence. By replacing quick brush-offs with active, non-judgmental support, society can bridge the gap between awareness and help-seeking, ensuring no young person feels that carrying their burden alone is their only choice.
