Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Indian Students Report Falling Wellbeing and Limited Formal Support
A report asked 8,515 students in India about their wellbeing and stress.
Many students said they try to handle stress by themselves.
Only a small number ask school counselors for help.
Students' happiness, confidence, motivation and overall wellbeing become lower from Grade 8 to Grade 12.
Older students also report more anxiety, loneliness, frustration and sadness.
Friends and family are the people students most often ask for support.
More than half of students think therapy or counseling could help.
Many students also worry because they do not receive clear career guidance.
The report says schools and families should make it easier for students to seek help early.
The IC3 Institute report surveyed 8,515 students across India.
About 64% of students prefer handling stress alone, while 6% seek school counselors.
High overall wellbeing declines from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12.
Friends and family are the most common sources of support, used by 49% and 44% of students.
Fifty-two percent receive structured career counseling, while 33% report anxiety from unclear career guidance.
- Who
- The report covers 8,515 Indian school students; the IC3 Institute released the findings.
- What
- The Student Well-being Pulse Report 2026 examines student wellbeing, stress management, support-seeking, sleep and career guidance.
- When
- The findings were released on August 19 and 20 at the 10th Annual IC3 Conference & Expo.
- Where
- The conference took place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India.
- Why
- The report highlights declining wellbeing during senior school and a gap between student pressures and the formal support systems they use.
- Survey size
- 8,515 students across India
- Stress handled independently
- 64% of students prefer to handle stress alone
- School counselor support
- 6% of students seek help from school wellbeing counselors
- Wellbeing decline
- High overall wellbeing falls from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12
- Common support sources
- 49% turn to friends and 44% turn to family members
- Professional support
- 52% believe therapy or counseling would be helpful, while 2% turn to therapists
- Sleep
- 55% report getting six hours or less of sleep per night
- Career guidance
- 33% feel anxious because of unclear career guidance