The Silent Struggle: Unmasking the Mental Health Crisis among University Students in Pakistan – By: Ainee Sharaf
University life in Pakistan is frequently idealized as a period marked by aspiration and potential a path toward self-reliance, accomplishment, and social advancement. Yet for an increasing proportion of students, this stage is characterized less by opportunity than by continual worry, emotional depletion, and psychological pressure that gradually undermines their health.
The mental health crisis affecting university students in Pakistan is neither based on isolated stories nor overstated. It is well recorded, quantifiable, and has long required earnest consideration. What is particularly concerning is not only the extent of the issue, but how readily it is minimized. Stress, burnout, and emotional suffering are often regarded as inherent aspects of the student experience conditions to be tolerated rather than confronted.
Nevertheless, research presents a more alarming situation. A major systematic review and meta-analysis of Pakistani studies available on PubMed indicated that about 42.66% of university students exhibit notable depressive symptoms, a rate exceeding that observed in numerous other low-resource environments. This statistic alone should dispute the notion that student distress is fleeting or insignificant. Similarly, individual studies corroborate this reality with more pronounced results. An investigation across universities in Sialkot showed that 88.4% of students described symptoms of anxiety, while 84.4% reported stress, with a considerable number classified as moderate to severe. Depression, though comparatively less widespread, still impacted a majority of students.
Another cross-sectional study spanning multiple institutions noted that approximately 85% of students displayed some level of depression, with female students reporting markedly higher levels than males. These numbers are not anomalies; they indicate a systemic problem occurring throughout the country’s campuses. One of the most thorough local studies was conducted by psychologist Sadia Saleem and her team, who examined 1,850 Pakistani university students and identified four key aspects of distress: diminished confidence, susceptibility to anxiety, emotional instability, and a widespread feeling of inadequacy. Notably, close to half of the participants were classified as having severe or very severe mental health difficulties. This reflects not ordinary stress but clinically significant distress.
The roots of this crisis are neither unclear nor confined. Academic pressure continues to be a primary source of stress. Students face fierce competition, inflexible evaluation methods, and excessive workloads in a setting where academic achievement is frequently tied to self-worth. Concurrently, financial instability exerts a heavy toll. Escalating tuition costs, scarce scholarships, and economic uncertainty compel many students to balance studies with economic pressures, allowing minimal opportunity for rest or personal well-being.
Moreover, socioeconomic and regional inequalities further heighten susceptibility. Research from Gilgit-Baltistan demonstrates that lower socioeconomic status and rigorous academic expectations are strongly linked to worse mental health, whereas factors like family support and self-esteem enhance psychological resilience. This underscores that mental health is influenced not just by individual coping ability, but by structural circumstances largely beyond students’ control.
The COVID-19 pandemic also exacerbated these existing pressures rather than generating them. Studies on post-pandemic campus reopening noted considerable rises in depression, anxiety, and stress, especially among students with weaker academic results and inadequate social networks. For many, returning to university did not bring back stability it amplified preexisting distress.
However, despite compelling data, seeking assistance remains uncommon. While mental health awareness among students is often greater than presumed, stigma and institutional disregard serve as strong barriers. Research involving medical students in Karachi revealed that 56% held unfavorable views toward obtaining professional psychological help, expressing concerns about social judgment and breaches of confidentiality. Even when students acknowledge their struggles, many hesitate to disclose them.
Regrettably, universities are largely unprepared to address these needs. Counseling services, where they exist, are frequently under-resourced, difficult to access, or viewed as non-essential rather than integral support structures. Mental health initiatives are often limited to occasional seminars, with consistent, long-term support remaining scarce. Students are presumed to manage on their own, yet are seldom equipped with the skills to do so.
The repercussions of this neglect are severe. Psychological distress impairs academic achievement, strains interpersonal connections, and erodes self-esteem. Left unaddressed, mental health issues can develop into enduring conditions, affecting not only university years but long-term adult life. When students face difficulties, it is not due to a lack of fortitude but rather a system that provides insufficient support.
Recently, there was an incident at the University of Lahore (UOL) in which Awais Sultan, reportedly a fifth-semester pharmacy student, died after falling from a campus building. This incident shook students across Pakistan, not just because it reflected a reality many silently live with every day. Initial reports and student testimonies pointed toward extreme academic pressure, attendance policies, and institutional stress. This incident exposed how academic rigidity, when combined with emotional neglect, can push already vulnerable students toward irreversible decisions. This is not a single incident; every day we witness new cases like this.
Earlier, in January 2025, there was another case in which a law student at Islamia College Peshawar was found dead in his hostel room, leaving behind a letter that reflected deep emotional despair. Similarly, at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, another case was reported in November 2025, where a student’s dead body was found in a hostel room. The repetition of such incidents across different cities and institutions signals something deeply systemic. These are not individual failures or personal weaknesses; they are symptoms of a larger mental health crisis within Pakistan’s higher education system.
Universities continue to prioritize grades, attendance, and performance metrics, while emotional well-being, counseling access, and psychological safety remain largely ignored or underfunded. What is needed now is not mere compassion, but committed action. Universities should formalize mental health support by establishing accessible counseling facilities, employing qualified staff, and ensuring confidential services. Faculty ought to be educated to identify signs of distress instead of misinterpreting them as a lack of discipline. Mental health instruction must be woven into academic culture, not restricted to occasional events.
Beyond university settings, society must challenge its own reluctance to engage with this issue. Mental health is neither a foreign import nor an individual shortcoming. It is a collective concern fueled by academic demands, economic instability, and cultural taboos. Confronting it does not weaken students; it enables them to thrive. This generation of Pakistani university students is not seeking ease; it is seeking acknowledgment, supportive systems, and genuine care.
Disregarding the evidence will not resolve the crisis. It will only ensure that young people carry hidden struggles into their futures. Conclusively, mental well-being should not be the price of education. If universities profess to develop intellects, they must also safeguard them. Until that occurs, the promise of higher education in Pakistan will remain unfulfilled not because students have fallen short, but because the system has chosen not to hear them.
(The writer Ainee Sharaf is a student of Political Science in International Islamic University Islamabad).
