49.5% of Youth in India Deal with Emotional Distress Alone; Only 9.2% Seek Professional Help, Reveals Mpower 2026 Survey
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:
l Women report higher internal emotional
burdens, led by constant overthinking (60% female share), self-doubt (56%), and
body image concerns (69%).
l Men show higher representation in external
stressors, including work-related stress (57% male share) and financial
insecurity (54%).
l 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.
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