In post-pandemic years, mental health counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; check IIT-wise data

Officials say the rise has as much to do with the after-effects of pandemic isolation as it does with a change in how students view counselling — helped along by bigger teams, new wellness centres and more psychiatrists on campus. At IIT-Kanpur, this means a new Centre for Mental Wellness led by a full-time psychiatrist, nine full-time counsellors and three part-time psychiatrists, with more likely to be added. “There has been a clear uptick in mental health concerns… some due to Covid isolation, some due to the sheer increase in student numbers,” said a senior official at IIT-Kanpur, adding that relationship issues and tensions between students and advisors are among the most common triggers. “We are creating safer, external-facing grievance redressal mechanisms so that students can seek help without fear of retaliation or stigma.”

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At IIT-Roorkee, nine counsellors — three permanent and six contractual — are on staff, with four more to be hired. Associate Dean Avlokitha Aggarwal credits mental health literacy drives, peer sensitisation, and efforts to reduce stigma for the rise in students coming forward. “An increase in footfall doesn’t necessarily imply a rise in disorders; it also reflects a growing openness among students to seek help,” she said. The campus now runs an annual month-long mental health campaign, from September 10 to World Mental Health Day, featuring suicide prevention drives, open mics, and celebrity talks.

IIT-Delhi has increased its counsellor strength to 14, crossing double digits for the first time, with some stationed in hostels at night and online help available round-the-clock. “Disruptive experiences during the pandemic affected many students,” said an IIT-Delhi official. “Batches that joined during that period may have spent months online and had no idea how to navigate the IIT environment. Adapting to this setting was a challenge. It is, in fact, a positive sign that more students are coming forward — it shows growing trust in the institute.”

The official pointed out that the post-pandemic pressure to adapt is not unique to IITs. “This is happening globallly. Covid disrupted the sense of continuity in our lives.” At IIT-Bombay, where five permanent counsellors are backed by contractual staff, the focus has been on integrating well-being into the first-year undergraduate curriculum. “Most common concerns are emotional, academic, interpersonal, and self-developmental in nature,” said an official. Counselling is free, hostel-level outreach has been scaled up, and awareness campaigns run throughout the year, including summer breaks.

What is driving students to seek help

Across IITs, while academic stress remains a constant, internal records show that students are reaching out for a far wider range of emotional, social, and psychological challenges — many intensified by the pandemic.

At IIT-Roorkee, the most common issues include psychiatric concerns, psychological struggles, academic pressure, career-related anxiety, life skills, and even general medical conditions. IIT-Delhi, which also works with YourDOST, has recorded a similar mix: interpersonal relationship problems, adjustment difficulties, family and peer pressure, and the challenge of balancing academics with social life. Officials say there has been a noticeable uptick in students citing isolation and social alienation, especially among batches that began their courses online.

At IIT-Bombay, the triggers range from academic concerns and emotional struggles to clinical issues and interpersonal conflicts. Officials at all four campuses say the breadth of problems underscores why expanding counselling teams and diversifying expertise has become central to their mental health strategy.

Why some IITs are seeing lower footfall

Two of the first-generation IITs have bucked the upward trend. In 2022, IIT-Kharagpur logged over 4,800 counselling sessions. Two years later, the number had dipped to 3,493 — but the headcount of students using the service has held steady, inching up from 224 in 2018 to 294 last year. That’s only a 31% rise over six years, yet the institute still records one of the highest session counts among all IITs. The institute currently has 10 regular counsellors and a visiting psychiatrist.

IIT-Guwahati, meanwhile, has recorded the lowest student turnout for in-person counselling. Footfall peaked at 936 in 2022 before dropping to 673 in 2024. Up to April 2025, 205 students had sought help, supported by four full-time counsellors and two part-time psychiatrists. Internal sources point to a shortage of counsellors, lingering stigma when staff are seen as tied to administration, and limited expertise for recurring issues like relationship problems.

The administration, however, links the dip partly to other factors. “One possible reason…  could be the growing popularity and ease of access of free online mental health services,” said Perumal Alagarsamy, Dean of Students’ Affairs at IIT-Guwahati. “These platforms may be offering students an alternative to face-to-face counselling, leading to a decline in physical footfall at our in-house services.”

While the institute has invested in campaigns to normalise conversations around mental health, some reluctance still persists. “Even though the institute offers multiple programmes… There still remains some degree of hesitation in seeking help. However, over the years we have been noticing a positive trend towards seeking in-house counselling services,” he said.