Mental Health and Wellbeing: Vision for Empowering Students

Tele MANAS, Manodarpan

Abstract

Mental health has emerged as one of the most significant yet often disregarded aspects of student development in today's educational system. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a state of wellbeing that allows each individual to realise their full potential, cope with daily stressors, work effectively and efficiently, and give back to their community. Despite this widespread awareness, millions of students worldwide continue to face silent challenges as a result of social isolation, familial expectations, academic pressure, and inadequate institutional support. This study looks at students' mental health and wellbeing from the perspectives of both India's revolutionary National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and global health frameworks. It examines the complex nature of student discontent, pinpoints important contributing elements such as growing academic rivalry and familial expectations and critically evaluates the structural deficiency in guidance and counselling services in educational institutions. This study proposes a thorough, learner-centric strategy to empower students through strong mental health support systems, drawing on WHO standards, NEP 2020 provisions, and recent empirical research.