TAMPA, Fla. — Since the start of 2024, 10 Indian students have died across the country due to suicide, accidental overdose, or disappearing, with their bodies found days later.
Now, there’s a real concern about students’ mental health, especially within the Indian community.
“When I was dealing with things I was dealing with, it was hard to kind of find someone or a group of people, or any sort of resource to really talk to,” said Suraj Nijhawan, a University of Florida student.
Nijhawan admits he struggled with his mental well-being but is afraid to talk about it since most Indian families look down on the subject.
“This other kid has depression, but everyone's not making fun of but everyone's talking bad about it makes it seem like if I ever get it, to keep it silent, just keep it in. Don't even mention it. So that does put a big pressure and in other words, is bottling up any emotion that you may have,” explained Nijhawan.
He also told ABC Action News there was intense pressure to always do well in school, which created even more stress.
“The only three words that really rung the bell was 'School Comes First.' And when someone says 'School Comes First,' it doesn't necessarily mean like, join a sports team or join a club, it means get good grades,” said Nijhawan.
He continued, “And a good grade is an A! Anything below an A, I will have to admit, is not seen as like meeting expectations.”
Even Nijhawan's career was decided for him.
“Growing up, I was always told I'm going to be a doctor. And I even almost tricked myself in my brain, that I'm going to be a doctor. I even set my sights on doing psychiatry as an adult. That was something I really wanted to do. And then the summer before college started, I switched to finance. And I would say it's one of the greatest decisions I've ever made in my life,” said Nijhawan.
Psychiatrist Dr. Krishan Barta says parents of Indian descent often don’t approve of mental health assistance.
“Many Indian American families are hesitant to go get help,” said Dr. Batra.
He continued, “They don't go to therapy. There's a stigma behind going to ask for mental health. It's like a sign of weakness. And there's so much privacy, so much conservative culture that we have, we grew up with, that we don't like to talk our thoughts and feelings to strangers. “
Dr. Batra believes parents need to consider how their high academic expectations may be affecting their children.
“Our Indian parents may not realize that these kids are under much more stress than when we were with the culture of simplicity. This is so complex. Now, we have made good enough dollars. We are successful. That doesn't mean that we know everything. We have to open our eyes and ears to the environmental acculturation for our kids,” explained Dr. Batra.
He recommends that parents pay attention to their kids' feelings throughout school, well before they go to college.
“Parents need to have a little more openness and listening to their kid's likes and dislikes. Get involved in doing things together,” said Dr. Batra.
He continued, “They need to go on vacation together and spend time with your kids and laugh together. That has been deficient in Indian American families.”
And Nijhawan believes the Indian community needs to start talking openly about mental health.
“In the modern day, we live in mental health is 50%, if not even more than 50%, of importance to a kid to a student. That's a big determining factor in many things,” said Nijhawan.
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about someone, call or test the “Suicide and Crisis Lifeline” at 988. It is free, confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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