Self-harm a key concern among youth

A helpline called CHAMPS, run by TISS and supported by UNICEF, helps young people in India with their mental health.

They found that many young people call because they are hurting themselves on purpose, but not to end their lives.

This is called self-harm, and it's a big concern.

The most common reason for calling is emotional distress.

Other reasons include problems with relationships, thoughts about suicide, violence, and school or career worries.

Most callers are young men under 25, and they mostly speak Hindi.

The helpline has been getting more calls each year.

There's also a chat service called ReYou that helps prevent suicide, and it's been used more in 2025 than the year before.

Experts say we need to study self-harm more because we don't know enough about it in India.