Clinical study finds family conflict outweighs academic stress in students’ mental health struggles
A clinical study by Cadabams Hospitals reveals that family conflict is a more significant driver of student mental health issues than academic stress. The findings highlight the need for more supportive environments in educational institutions.
Why it matters
This study challenges the conventional focus on academic pressure as the primary cause of student mental health crises, suggesting a need for broader intervention strategies.
While examinations, marks and academic competition have been considered the primary drivers of stress experienced by students, a new study suggests “family conflict” as a more common reason for students seeking psychological support than academic stress.
A clinical study by Cadabams Hospitals — a priviate hospital which draws on over 58,000 student touchpoints across 3,569 documented counselling sessions conducted by Cadabams psychologists embedded across schools and colleges in Bengaluru — observed that emotional struggles of many young people may begin well beyond the classroom.
In the study, while anxiety accounted for nearly one in three counselling concerns (29%), family conflict (14%) ranked ahead of academic stress (10%), followed by relationship distress (8%) and loneliness (7%).
Students aged 16 to 18 years studying in Pre-University colleges recorded the highest proportion of self-harm concerns among all educational groups assessed.
Mental health concerns of student differed significantly across educational streams.
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