Suicidal thoughts growing among schoolchildren

Schools should take action to neutralise the havoc stress plays on young minds and the problem should be nipped in the bud. - Experts,

The suicide of a student in the city should not be brushed away lightly, experts have said reacting to the suicide of a class VII student. Schools should take action to neutralise the havoc stress plays on young minds and the problem should be nipped in the bud. Not all students who commit suicide are depressed, and bullying is one of the reasons that makes students to often take their own lives, said a city psychiatrist.

Schools need to take disciplinary action against bullying, says a psychiatrist.

Psychiatrist Dr Bhooshan Shukla said that every week he counsels at least one or two children to remove suicidal tendencies. There are varying reasons. Some may feel disconnected with what they want to do. There could be additional pressure to do something during the little free time these children get and that does not go down well with them, Shukla said.

“We are seeing more adolescents harbouring feelings of killing themselves. They feel threatened and isolated due to increasing societal pressure. Some come from troubled families and there are cases where the child feels cornered and helpless. Some children harm themselves out of anger,” Shukla added. Suicidal tendencies are seen in children aged 12 years and above,
he explained.

According to Dr Soumitra Pathare, consultant psychiatrist, centre for mental health law and policy at the Indian Law Society (ILS), the reason for suicide among children and adolescents could also be rooted in social problems.

Bullying in schools, like ragging in colleges, is an issue that needs urgent attention, Pathare said. At some level, schools need to sensitise children about bullying and its fallout, he added, pointing out that a depressed person may not necessarily
commit suicide.

Mukta Puntambekar, Director at Muktangan de-addiction centre agrees that there is a rise in cases of children being counselled for a variety of reasons. There are physical and mental changes in the child, at the age of 10 and 11 years, who has to cope with parental and peer pressure. “There is constant comparison with other children and their achievements and the level of competition has increased manifold,” says Puntambekar.

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“We are seeing a rise in number of adolescents aged 15 to 16 years addicted to alcohol, drugs, whiteners and internet. Obviously, addiction started two to three years earlier and now they require counselling and treatment,” says Puntambekar.

Out of 150 patients admitted, at least 10 per cent are aged below 25 years.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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