India student well-being declines sharply in senior years, study finds
IC3 Institute’s pulse study of 8,515 Indian students shows well-being, happiness, confidence and motivation fall notably from Grade 8 to Grade 12. The report highlights gender gaps and sleep deprivation in senior years, with many students open to counselling.
Key takeaways
- Well-being among Indian students drops from Grade 8 to Grade 12, with high well-being falling from 62% to 43%.
- Happiness, confidence and motivation also decline across grades, while negative emotions peak in Grades 11 and 12.
- Sleep duration worsens in senior years, with a notable share sleeping less than 7 hours.
- Girls report higher levels of negative emotions than boys across most categories.
- More than half of students say therapy or counselling would be helpful if accessible.
What Happened
The IC3 Institute presented the Student Well-Being Pulse Report at the 10th Annual IC3 Conference and Expo in Mumbai on August 20, 2026. The study surveyed 8,515 students across India and tracked changes in wellbeing, happiness, confidence and motivation as students progressed to higher grades. The findings show a clear decline in overall wellbeing from Grade 8 to Grade 12, accompanied by increasing negative emotions and sleep-related concerns. The report also notes that a majority of students report strong social belonging and access to support from friends and family, while usage of professional support remains low but with a notable openness to therapy or counselling if accessible.
Key numerical trends include a drop in the share of students with high overall wellbeing from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12. Related measures fall as well: happiness from 65% to 48%, confidence from 64% to 47%, and motivation from 64% to 49%. Negative emotions—anxiety, low energy, frustration, loneliness and sadness—peaked in Grades 11 and 12, while the experience of flourishing was higher in Grade 8 and declined with grade level.
Gender differences are evident, with girls reporting higher levels of negative emotions across categories; for example, 33% of girls reported anxiety compared with 23% of boys. Sleep patterns worsen in senior years: 19% of students in Grades 11-12 slept less than five hours, nearly half slept 5–6 hours, and 22–23% achieved the recommended 7–8 hours. Most students who seek help turn to friends (49%) and family (44%), with smaller shares consulting teachers (13%), school counsellors (6%), and therapists (2%). About half of respondents (52%) believed therapy or counselling would be helpful if it were accessible.
Overall indicators show that Grade 12 experiences the sharpest decline in well-being, while Grade 8 shows the highest levels of flourishing, particularly in social belonging and emotional connection. The report attributes some of the stress to academic pressures, board exams, college planning and burnout.
Why It Matters
The study points to a widening gap between student pressures and the support they receive, illustrating potential implications for mental health services, educational policy and student success beyond the classroom. The openness to therapy or counselling among a majority of students, if coupled with accessible services, could influence future approaches to student welfare and school-based mental health programs. The gendered pattern of negative emotions suggests that targeted supports may be needed for female students in higher grades. The sleep patterns observed during senior years raise questions about workload, exam scheduling and student well-being initiatives.
Background
The Pulse Report is part of a broader project on student mental health and suicide aversion, conducted by the IC3 Institute in collaboration with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. The findings were released at a conference in Mumbai, marking the latest in a series of annual assessments intended to map wellbeing across Indian schools.
Key Facts
- Sample size: 8,515 students across India
- Well-being (high) by grade: 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12
- Happiness by grade: 65% in Grade 8 to 48% in Grade 12
- Confidence by grade: 64% in Grade 8 to 47% in Grade 12
- Motivation by grade: 64% in Grade 8 to 49% in Grade 12
- Negative emotions peak in Grades 11 and 12 across anxiety, low energy, frustration, loneliness, sadness
- Gender gap: anxiety 33% for girls vs 23% for boys; negative emotions higher for girls on other metrics
- Sleep in Grades 11–12: 19%
- Help-seeking: friends (49%), family (44%), teachers (13%), counsellors (6%), therapists (2%)
- Therapy/counselling: 52% believe it would be helpful if accessible
- Event context: findings released at IC3 Conference and Expo in Mumbai on August 20, 2026
What Happens Next
The report does not specify formal next steps within the provided material. It notes implications for policy and support structures, but concrete actions or scheduled follow-ups are not detailed in the release. Further communications from IC3 or the conference organizers would be needed to confirm any planned interventions or program implementations.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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