Mumbai: Nearly half of young Indians keep difficult emotions to themselves and try to deal with them alone, while fewer than one in 10 seek professional help, a 10-city survey has found.The findings, released ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10, are based on a survey of 1,203 young adults aged 18 to 25 across 10 regions, including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai and Jaipur.The survey, conducted by Mpower through its COPE college network, found that 49.5% of respondents dealt with difficult emotions on their own, while only 9.2% said they sought professional help or guidance when faced with an emotionally difficult event.The reluctance to seek help comes against a backdrop where young people often receive dismissive responses to distress, said mental health experts with Mpower. About 40.4% said they had been told to “be strong”, while 34.5% had heard “you’re overthinking it” and 32.8% were advised to focus on studies or work. “Only 13.6% said someone had listened to them without judgement and offered support,” according to the survey.Many respondents also reported masking their distress. About 40.9% said they tell people “I’m fine” when they are not, 40.4% smile so others do not ask questions and 37.6% avoid talking about how they feel. Another 37% said they keep themselves busy to avoid thinking about what they are experiencing.Mpower’s chief medical adviser Zirak Marker said the findings pointed to a gap between mental-health awareness and the ability to express vulnerability.“Young people know the vocabulary of mental health, but still do not feel safe enough to be vulnerable,” he said. Responses such as “be strong” or “focus on work”, he added, could brush aside their pain and force them to cope in silence.The survey also found differences in stressors: young women mentioned body-image concerns, social-media comparison and self-doubt, while young men reported higher shares of work-related stress, financial worries and relationship challenges.Psychiatrist Pratik Surandashe from Apex Group of Hospitals, Borivli, who was not associated with the survey, said that a business loss, unemployment or inability to repay a loan could feel like the end of the world when a person is emotionally overwhelmed. “In our cities, where success is often measured through income, lifestyle and professional achievement, people may hesitate to admit that they are struggling,” he said.According to National Crime Records Bureau, Mumbai ranked fourth among major Indian cities for absolute numbers of suicides (1,406), behind Delhi (2,905 cases), Bengaluru (2,403 cases) and Chennai (1,525).The Mpower survey also identified increased anger or irritability (47%), difficulty concentrating or enjoying things (36.7%) and disruption to daily routine (31.3%) among common signs of distress.
