64% Students Prefer To Handle Stress Alone, Only 6% Seek School Counselors: IC3 Report

A large majority of Indian school students prefer to deal with stress on their own, even as their overall wellbeing declines steadily through the senior school years, according to the IC3 Institute’s Student Well-being Pulse Report 2026.

The report, based on responses from 8,515 students across India, found that 64% of students prefer to handle stress on their own, while only 6% turn to a school wellbeing counselor for support. The findings were released at the 10th Annual IC3 Conference & Expo, held on August 19 and 20 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.

The report points to a growing gap between the pressures students face and the support systems they use.

Student wellbeing drops from Grade 8 to Grade 12

The decline becomes particularly visible as students move into the senior school years.

The proportion of students reporting high overall wellbeing falls from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12. Similar declines are seen across several measures of positive wellbeing.

Happiness: 65% in Grade 8 to 48% in Grade 12

Confidence: 64% in Grade 8 to 47% in Grade 12

Motivation: 64% in Grade 8 to 49% in Grade 12

At the same time, negative emotions become more prominent with age. Anxiety, low energy, frustration, loneliness and sadness are all reported most strongly among students in Grades 11 and 12.

The pattern suggests that the years when students face increasingly important academic and career decisions are also the years in which many report lower levels of wellbeing.

Friends & family remain the first point of support

When students do decide to seek help, they are far more likely to turn to people they already know.

According to the report, 49% turn to friends and 44% seek support from family members. Teachers are approached by 13% of students, while only 6% seek help from school counsellors. Just 2% report turning to therapists.

Yet the findings also suggest that students are not necessarily opposed to professional support. Fifty-two percent said they believe therapy or counselling would be helpful, indicating that the issue may be less about unwillingness and more about whether such support feels accessible and easy to approach.

Ganesh Kohli, Founder of the IC3 Movement, said the findings show why making guidance easier to access remains important.

“As students move through senior school, we see wellbeing, confidence and positive emotions decline, even as academic and career decisions become increasingly consequential,” Kohli said.

He added that schools, families, counsellors and universities all have a role in creating environments where students can seek guidance early rather than carrying concerns on their own.

Career guidance also a source of anxiety

The report also highlights concerns around career decisions. Only 52% of students said they receive structured career counselling at school, while 33% said they feel anxious because of unclear career guidance.

Access to career counselling differs across states. The report records access levels of around 61% to 62% in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, while Bihar and Kerala are below the national average.

Career-related anxiety is particularly pronounced in Bihar, where 43% of students reported feeling anxious because of unclear career guidance.

The findings add another dimension to the pressure students face as they approach higher education and career decisions.

Sleep, screens & everyday stress

The report also looks at how students manage their day-to-day pressures. Fifty-five percent of students said they get six hours or less of sleep a night.

Academic pressure, overthinking and screen use were among the factors affecting sleep.

Students tend to rely on simple, easily available coping mechanisms. Music was cited by 69% of students, while 57% said they use physical activity to cope. Fewer students reported relying on more structured practices such as mindfulness or sleep hygiene.

There are also differences between boys and girls. Girls report higher levels of anxiety, frustration and sadness and lower levels of calmness and confidence.

Only 52% of girls said they feel confident often or always, compared with 64% of boys. Career-related anxiety was reported by 35% of girls, compared with 31% of boys.

Findings released at IC3 conference in mumbai

The report was released during the 10th Annual IC3 Conference & Expo, held on August 19 and 20 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai under the theme “Looking Deeply - From Information to Insight.”

The event brought together school counsellors, universities, policymakers, diplomats and industry representatives from more than 60 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Japan and Spain.

Discussions at the conference covered issues ranging from AI and college admissions to student mobility, curriculum choices and the changing nature of career pathways.

The conference opened with a keynote by Dr Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, 50th Chief Justice of India (Retd.), who spoke about the role of educators and counsellors at a time when AI is increasingly being used to provide information and guidance.

He stressed that educators can play a different role by asking students questions and encouraging them to consider pathways they may not initially see.

The programme also featured a fireside chat with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Astronaut, ISRO, who discussed his journey and the role of science, aerospace and technology in education.

The conference also saw participation from senior representatives of the international education sector, including HE Mr Philip Green OAM, Australia's High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Bhutan, as well as representatives from Education New Zealand, Austrade, the British Council, NACAC, Common App, IE University and the University of Tokyo.

Green inaugurated the Study Australia Grand Pavilion, which hosted a 22-member Australian delegation comprising universities, higher education institutions and school boards.

“Australia is deeply engaged with India across a whole range of fields, but education is a truly key one,” Green said.

He also highlighted the scale of Australia's participation at the event, noting that 18 Australian universities and two school boards were represented.

The IC3 report puts numbers to one part of that challenge, students are increasingly reporting lower wellbeing as they progress through school, while many continue to rely on themselves rather than formal support systems when they are under stress.

Published on: Thursday, August 20, 2026, 05:35 PM IST