World Mental Health Day: IITians discuss campus stress and demands for stronger support systems

The death of a 20yearold student at IIT Bombay last month triggered protests on the Powai campus with students demanding stronger mental health support Soon after they submitted an 18point draft of demands to the administration four of which directly addressed mental health servicesAhead of World Mental Health Day midday spoke to IIT alumni from different decades and current students to understand the pressures they faced during their time at the institutes and the support available to themThe IITians have demanded at least one counsellor for every 250 students Representation piciStockBack in the 80sVinay Somani an IIT Bombay alumnus who studied there from 1975 to 1980 said the term ldquomental healthrdquo was not widely used during his time and that life at IITs was simpler than it is today ldquoOnly one or two students who scored very high ranks in JEE and could not cope with lower marks at IIT were the ones who had a breakdown Since times were simpler most of us would get time for music sports hobbies and friends to take away the stress We didnrsquot even know about counselling and we would simply go to our professors for helprdquo said Somani He said parental pressure and expectations of securing highpaying jobs were not as prominent thenIITs in the 2000sAn alumnus from the 2007 batch said students faced academic pressure while competing with some of the countryrsquos brightest minds During this period many students realised that their Cumulative Performance Index CPI was not the only factor influencing placements and began adding nonacademic achievements to their CVsldquoThere was a certain societal expectation since many of my batchmates were the first IITian from their family However in todayrsquos date the competition has certainly increased due to the sheer volume of people Today the opportunities that society views as a good future have also reduced taking a toll on student wellnessrdquo he said Friends and hostel lsquowingiesrsquo or wingmates were their main support systems However the alumnus said social stigma around seeking professional help discouraged students from approaching counsellorsThe IIT experience todayA recent alumnus who graduated two years ago said the IIT experience varies depending on the hostel environment He described an intensely competitive atmosphere where students face stigma over backlogs and repeating coursesldquoI have seen peers get internships with an R1 lakh stipend but they end up comparing themselves with those that have the Rs 2 lakh internships Familial pressures are also very high I have seen parents weep in front of their children after scoresrdquo he told middayPlacement packages media attention around highearning students and family expectations add to the pressureldquoIt was during the fifth semester when my mental health wasnrsquot the best ahead of placements The Student Wellness Centre is accessed by many students for such concerns and in my experience the help you receive is just alright However most students I understand actually reach out to these centres for personal or relationship troublesrdquo he saidPressures then and nowDr Sreystha Beppari clinical psychologist at Apollo Clinic cautioned against assuming that mental health problems are more prevalent today simply because they are more visible Earlier IITians also faced academic pressure deadlines competition isolation homesickness and family expectations but distress was often normalised as part of successldquoWe need to be careful about assuming that mental health difficulties are more prevalent today simply because they are more visible or because people are paying more attention to itrdquo Dr Beppari said Today students face constant peer comparison through digital platforms and uncertainty about career stability and technological changes Artificial intelligence has added concerns about employability opportunities and expertiseWhat do students wantDemands submitted to the IIT Bombay director Better inperson counselling At least one counsellor for every 250 students Independent audits of the Student Wellness Centre SWC One counsellor in every hostel A psychiatrist available 247 A betterequipped hospital Mental health sessions for faculty and staff every two monthMastersrsquo and PhD studentsDr Pranav Jeevan who pursued his masterrsquos at IIT Kanpur and research at IIT Madras and IIT Bombay said supervisors can be a major source of stress ldquoThe largest mental health concern may stem from your guide Some campuses debar you if your CGPA dips below 65 so that was an added pressurerdquo Ushak a PhD graduate from IIT in 2018 said the campus therapist was not very approachable and that the support centrersquos conversations were not always studentfriendly Coaching institutesrsquo promotion of IIT success stories added pressure while some students were forced to pursue engineering despite having other interestsHelplinesAnkahee All days of the week from 4 pm to 10 pm8655486966iCALL From Monday 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