Dr. Amit Malik, founder and CEO of Amaha, said the figures describe only people who sought care through the organization, not students or workers nationwide. "This reflects the individuals who sought care with us, not India's entire student population," Malik said.

The report also found that more than half of respondents, 53%, lived with mental health concerns for over a year before seeking help, and only 11.3% approached a provider within a month of first experiencing symptoms. Malik attributed the delay to stigma, cost, and difficulty recognizing symptoms as they emerged.

By the time respondents reached care, their condition had often deteriorated: just 12.3% could still manage all their daily tasks, while 27.3% could manage most or none of them. Nearly all respondents, 94.9%, reported at least two concurrent mental health concerns, with anxiety the most common at 72.1%, followed by stress at 67.5%, low mood at 58.3%, relationship difficulties at 55.6%, and mood swings at 54.1%. Most respondents, 82.7%, relied on avoidant coping strategies, and 15.4% turned to alcohol or other substances.

Before seeking professional help, 54.5% of respondents had talked to friends or family, 44.6% had tried self-help approaches, 32.9% had tried therapy, and 19.4% had already been prescribed medication. Once in psychiatric care, clinicians rated 56.9% of patients as improved by their fourth session, using the Clinical Global Impression scale.

Malik called for stronger institutional responses to bullying and academic setbacks, and for mental healthcare to be folded into primary healthcare systems rather than treated separately. He said India's progress on mental health should be measured by how quickly and effectively people can access care, not by how openly the subject is discussed.