A tragic college shooting in Punjab highlights how youth mental health struggles often remain unnoticed until a crisis occurs.
Emotional distress usually develops gradually, with warning signs such as withdrawal, irritability, sleep changes, and reduced emotional expression.
A major Indian study found that 1 in 3 college students shows depressive symptoms and nearly 1 in 5 has experienced suicidal thoughts.
Stigma, fear of judgment, lack of awareness, and limited access to counsellors prevent many students from seeking help early.
Early identification, open conversations, institutional support, and access to helplines can help prevent mental health crises and save lives.
TARN TARAN: CCTV footage from Usma Law College in Punjab captured a tragic incident in which a first-year student shot his classmate inside a classroom and then shot himself.
Police are still investigating, and the motive behind the incident has not yet been officially confirmed. Authorities have not released details regarding the weapon, and officials urge responsible reporting. While the act happened within seconds, emotional distress rarely builds overnight.
After such incidents, one sentence is often repeated: “There were no signs.” But in many cases, there are signs. They may not be dramatic, but they always exist. A student may become unusually quiet or easily irritated. There may be changes in sleep, behaviour, or academic performance. Some may withdraw from friends or lose interest in daily activities.
Not all suffering looks serious from the outside. A struggling student may continue attending classes and interacting normally.
The majority of youth are themselves unaware that they are experiencing mental health issues due to a lack of awareness and insufficient support at the institutional level. Burdened by academic pressure and performance targets, students carry stress that leads to mental health problems.Dr. Suresh Chandra Ch, Project Coordinator and Principal Investigator of an ICSSR-Sponsored Research Project under Vision Viksit Bharat, Department of Management Studies, Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (Deemed to be University), Andhra Pradesh
When Regular Stress Starts Feeling Too Heavy
Students today carry a lot on their shoulders. They think about exams, marks, what they will do in the future, what job they will get, and whether they are meeting their families’ expectations. Some even worry about money at a young age. At the same time, social media keeps showing them other people’s achievements, making it easy to feel like they are falling behind.
This stress is not “just in their heads.”
A study of more than 8,500 college students across nine Indian states found that one in three showed signs of depression, nearly one in four struggled with anxiety, and almost one in five had thought about suicide at some point¹.
These numbers show that emotional distress among youth is common. Stress may begin as something manageable, but when it continues without support, it can become too much to handle.
Students often hesitate to talk about their problems. Some fear judgment, while others believe their struggles are not serious enough to deserve attention. Many worry about confidentiality and how others might react. In many homes, therapy is still misunderstood and wrongly linked with weakness. Because of this stigma, young people may choose silence instead of seeking help. And when struggles remain hidden, they often grow more serious over time.
Many students look normal on the outside, they go to college regularly, attend classes, and smile but on the inside, they may be struggling deeply. Just because someone seems “fine” does not mean they are not silently suffering. Many young people quietly search for someone to talk to, yet feel that there is no clear or safe option available.
Research on teen mental health shows that worrying about what others will think is one of the biggest reasons young people don’t seek professional help.
Many colleges do not have enough trained counsellors, and some have none. Even when counselling is available, students may hesitate to use it due to fear or embarrassment. Mental health counselling is often treated as optional rather than essential. Many institutions focus mainly on marks, placements, and discipline, while giving very little importance to students' emotional well-being.
Mental health screening is not regularly done. Simple tools can help identify anxiety or depression early. Research shows that early stepping in is effective, yet support often begins only after some serious incident has occurred2. When students do not get help at the right time, their stress and sadness can slowly become heavier and harder to handle. What may begin as simple worry, fear, or low mood can grow into something more serious if no one notices or steps in early. Teachers interact with students daily but often are not trained to identify emotional warning signs or guide students toward help. If systems respond only after a tragedy, prevention becomes difficult.
Experts say that if teachers get basic mental health training and there are clear ways to guide students to help, problems can be noticed before they get serious.
In today’s digital world, embarrassment can spread very fast. A private message can be shared publicly. A small mistake can go viral. Hurtful comments can be seen by hundreds of people within minutes. For many young people, online bullying feels impossible to escape.
Unlike school bullying, online harassment does not end when the school day ends. It follows students home through their phones and social media, making it feel impossible to escape. This constant exposure can make them feel scared, ashamed, anxious, and deeply alone. Over time, it can break their confidence and make them doubt themselves. Because it happens online, parents and teachers may not realise how deeply it is affecting them.
Students who face online harassment may feel ashamed, anxious, or scared. Some may suddenly avoid using their phones. Others may become unusually quiet, lose sleep, avoid school, or seem upset after going online.
Over time, this constant fear and embarrassment can break a student’s confidence and make them feel completely alone. If no one notices these changes or asks what is wrong, the distress can silently grow more serious. What may begin as online teasing can slowly turn into deep emotional pain if support does not come in time.
Parents and teachers should pay attention to these changes. A student who looks confident and happy on social media may still be struggling deeply in real life. What we see online does not always show what someone is truly feeling inside.
Multiple international studies have linked exposure to cyberbullying with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts among adolescents. Similar findings were seen among students in India6-8.
Medbound Times connected with Dr. Suresh Chandra Ch, who has worked closely with students through his ICSSR-funded research project, highlights practical warning signs that parents and teachers should watch for. He answers some key questions about early identification and prevention.
How can parents recognise early signs of anxiety or mental distress in their children?
Children with abnormal behaviour such as change in the body language, hiding nature, signs of over-calmness, not able to freely move with parents, friends and neighbours is an early sign to understand a child has mental distress. Observing students hand, signs of forceful attempts of cuts, sweat on face, inability to speak properly or unhappy face are the early signs that parents can detect that a child is having anxiety or mental distress.
Students will lose freshness on their face, increasing fear, shivering, lack of proper sleep, weight loss, losing hair and dark circles are the physical symptoms that students experience. Due to academic stress and personal comments by parents/teachers/friends, the students' mindset will deviate from the regular work and signs of anxiety reflect on their physical and mental health.
The mental health issues among the students may commonly arise due to increasing academic stress, more book work and not having the time to play, over addiction to social media, lack of time spending on social activities and monotony. Students with mental health concerns often think seriously about their problems. Instead of finding the solution and sharing to the others, they keep the issues themselves and overthinking might lead to signs of loneliness, fear of failure, fear in next stage leads to crying, staying away from his family/network and suicidal tendency.
Dr. Chandra says institutions must take serious intervention steps and treat mental health as essential.
Teachers should avoid “carrot and stick” behaviour with students and should not over-praise or over-criticise them in front of classmates. Public comparison can damage confidence.
A student's abnormal behaviour should be observed carefully and shared responsibly with parents. Mentoring and recreation activities should be practiced regularly. Assignments and homework should not overburden students. There should be a right balance between academics and activities.
He also stresses that students should be taught how to cope with stress, understand emotional changes during puberty, and seek help when needed.
At the college level, rank-based classification and excessive comparison should be reduced. Students should be encouraged not only to chase ranks but to grow as responsible citizens.
Based on findings from the ICSSR project, he notes that anxiety levels among senior students are high, making early screening and support systems important. Colleges should encourage sports, cultural activities, and extracurricular participation. Health and well-being education, stress management, and mentoring should be included as part of the curriculum.
The Tarn Taran incident is not isolated. Across India and globally, youth mental health challenges are increasing. Research shows that nearly 75% of mental health conditions begin before the age of 25². This means that mental health problems often start silently during school or college years. Many young people may not even realise they are struggling, and the signs can be easily missed by parents and teachers.
In recent months, other cases involving students have also raised concern. In one case, an 18-year-old student in Delhi was arrested for bringing a firearm to school, reportedly after being bullied. Although different, these incidents show the same problem. Many young people are struggling inside, and no one notices in time. When feelings like anger, sadness, or fear are ignored, they can grow into bigger problems. That is why listening early and offering support is so important.
If we treat each case as a one-time incident, we miss the larger pattern. Schools and colleges, therefore, play an important role in early detection and prevention.
Schools and colleges should make sure that every student has someone safe to talk to. A counsellor should be easy to reach, and students should feel comfortable speaking in private without fear of being judged. Mental health should be discussed openly in classrooms, just like any other subject, so students can learn to understand their feelings and know that it is okay to ask for help.
At home, families should create space for honest conversations about stress and emotions. Children should feel heard, not dismissed. There is no shame in asking for help. Reaching out early is not a weakness; it is courage. And sometimes, one safe conversation can change everything.
If someone needs immediate support, free and confidential helplines are available in India:
Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health: +91 99996 66555
Sneha Foundation India: 044-24640050, 044-24640060
iCall:+91 91529 87821
Connecting NGO: 9922001122/ 9922004305
Muktaa Helpline: +91 788 788 9882 (Available from Monday to Saturday: 12:00pm to 08:00pm)
Mann Talks: +91 86861 39139 (Available from Monday to Sunday: 09:00am to 06:00pm)
Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528, 84229 84529, 842 298 4530 (Available from Monday to Sunday: 04:00pm to 10:00pm)
If calling feels difficult, consider talking to someone you trust. One conversation can make a difference.
Serious incidents can happen in a moment, but emotional struggles usually build up little by little. The signs are not always clear, but they are often there.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person to ask gently, “Are you okay?” One teacher who listens. One parent who chooses understanding instead of anger. One friend who stays. Mental health problems are not a weakness. Asking for help is not shameful. If we listen earlier and care a little more, we can protect young lives and prevent silent struggles from turning into tragedies.
When we notice emotional struggles early and respond with care, we can help prevent future crises and protect young lives.
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