Decoding Suicides in students preparing for competitive exams and higher education:Causes and Solutions

The recent spate of suicides by students in Kota, Rajasthan, has sent shockwaves across the country and ignited a debate on why this is happening. A closer look at the situation reveals that the students are under tremendous pressure to perform, while they are unable to cope with the expectations of their families and the society at large. It is important to understand the underlying causes of these suicides and to put in place measures to ensure that such tragedies do not recur in the future. We need to come up with strategies that will help students to cope better with their academic and personal challenges and to ensure that their mental health is taken care of. This article will take an in-depth look at the causes of the Kota suicides and suggest possible solutions.

Some Facts about the  three suicides  in Kota recently

There were two students from Bihar, ages 17 and 18, living near each other in a PG and attending the same coaching classes. Both were studying for different entrance exams, one for medical and the other for IIT. The two students kept in close contact with their families, talking to them and their parents daily. The night before their death, the two students had met, and both were found to have died from hanging. Neither of them was doing well in their exams or attending classes. A third student from Madhya Pradesh studying for NEET consumed poison after having a conversation with their parents and eating his dinner.

Causes of suicides among students studying in Kota coaching classes

The recent spate of suicides in Kota, Rajasthan, has put the spotlight on the mental health of students. Many parents and students have raised concerns about the level of stress faced by students and the general lack of assistance for students dealing with mental health issues. The media has also speculated about the academic pressure faced by students and the high fees charged by private coaching institutions. This article takes a closer look at the possible causes of the Kota suicides and suggests possible solutions to address them. 

a. Academic pressure

Students often feel that they are not able to cope with the academic pressure and the expectations that are on them. They feel that they need to perform well in their examinations and often feel that they are not able to achieve this. This can lead to a sense of failure and frustration, and put pressure on the students to improve their performance. People also often compare their performance with others and may expect others to perform poorly and be judgmental about other’s academic performance. This can also put pressure on students and make them feel as though they are not able to live up to their own expectations or the expectations of others. Students may also be sensitive to social judgment about their performance. They may feel that their classmates and others in the society may judge them for performing poorly and expect them to perform better in their next examination. This may put pressure on students and make them feel that they have to live up to the expectations of others and perform better.

b. Financial constraints

Parents often have to take loans and take money from their relatives and friends to be able to afford the tutoring fees in Kota. They are also expected to bear the expenses related to their travel and food. This may put students under a lot of stress and add to their problems of academic performance.Some students may have to travel to Kota from other parts of the country, leaving their homes and their parents behind. This can add to their feelings of stress and anxiety, and make them feel a lack of support from their parents. As a result of the removal of parental supervision, students are more left alone. Living in close quarters with other similarly-placed students who are in a cutthroat competition with one another academically is a recipe for disaster. They are struggling emotionally and are looking for support from others, but all they can find are rivals.

Coaching Classes like these are like psychological pressure cookers just waiting to blow.

c. Lack of emotional support

Involvement of Mirror Imaging in 2 Student Deaths in Bihar. One got depressed, while the other shared his reactions and feelings. The already heavy depression was amplified, and so were the ramifications of any terrible decisions made. To the contrary, they were mutually reinforcing each other's destructive behavior rather than pulling them out of the despair.

Many Kota students feel that they have no one to turn to in their moments of crisis. They may feel that they are too ashamed to share their feelings with their parents and may have difficulty in sharing their feelings with their friends and relatives. This can increase their feelings of isolation and make them more prone to suicide. 

Sometimes, students will place unreasonable expectations on themselves and then be harsh on them when they fall short of those benchmarks.

Some students are more sociable than others and, as a result, have a greater need for regular social interaction; however, due to intense competition and demanding time commitments, these students often find themselves isolated.

Students were excessively hard on themselves for not performing well in class and could not accept failure as an option.

In addition, their parents' negative comments reinforced their sense of doom, so they couldn't think about anything but the exam.

d. Warning signs of suicide

Altered conduct: Both became absentee due to stress and depression brought on by the intensity of the competition. They were attempting to escape confrontation with their classmates by running away.Withdrawal is the primary symptom of depression,as a result, we had fewer interactions with other people.When combined with the other friend's already-present depression, this was a recipe for disaster.

Impact of suicides on society

The media reports of suicides in Kota have led to people questioning whether coaching centres are in any way responsible for the tragic deaths. Some parents have also expressed concerns about the high fees that these coaching centres charge, as well as the general pressure that their children face to perform in their examinations. There have also been reports that coaching centres may have taken advantage of the desperation of students by asking them to pay extra money and to take loans to pay the tutoring fees. While the reasons for the Kota suicides may be different from person to person, the fact that this is happening in a significant number of cases cannot be denied. Therefore, it is important for the authorities to understand the underlying causes of these suicides and to put in place measures to ensure that such tragedies do not recur in the future.

Solutions to reduce suicides among students

One way to reduce the number of suicides among students in Kota is to improve the learning environment. This can be done by reducing the number of students in a class, providing adequate space for students to think and reflect, and allowing students to take periodic breaks from their studies. It is important that parents and teachers be more aware of the signs of mental health issues and help students manage their stress better. Mental health issues affect a person’s ability to think clearly and make decisions, and can develop into a serious condition if left untreated. Mental health awareness programmes can be conducted regularly  in coaching classes to help students become more aware of mental health issues, know how to deal with them and seek professional help if needed. 

Message for Parents 

If your child is residing at a hostel, it is imperative that you keep a close eye on them and pay frequent visits. Students' capabilities must be recognised and respected, and they must not be pushed beyond their limits. If a student is struggling academically, parents should avoid making any disparaging comments to them. Pay more attention to the steps taken to prepare for the exam and reward that instead of the total result. Rather than viewing failures negatively, try viewing them as learning opportunities. It is important to integrate mindfulness training into their routine study routine.

In case your planned career path doesn't work out, know that there is always another option that will not always lead to a worse future.

Acceptance for personal growth

 How well are you at accepting your control over your circumstances, as well as your inability to control them? 

Are you able to cope with the constant flux of your life?

You can take control of your life when you can accept everything, including yourself and other people. In charge, it's easier to recognize how you can improve your own life. You'll find who you are when you learn to accept yourself as you are.

People around the world feel that when we act the same way at all times, we've established our identity. That's completely out of line with current events! Many good and bad influences have infiltrated our minds and bodies to the point where we now experience all of the above. In order for our personality to reflect these changes, we have to feel something new on a daily basis.

We've become numb to the horrors of the world around us.  Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, yet we must all admit that we have passed judgement on someone at some point. Changing our own conduct and mindset can have a positive impact on the people around us. A part of learning and acceptance is this. You can travel the world by becoming your own influence and letting other influences bring bad luck into the life of another individual.

You'll want to laugh more once you've accepted reality. You'll notice the humour in someone's conduct if they're making you nuts, for example. If you make a mistake and feed into their naivete, you might see the humour in it. You'll feel better about yourself if you can see the humour in everything. In order to improve yourself, you may inspire others to follow suit. It's been shown that actions speak louder than words when it comes to inspiring someone to make a difference.

You'll develop a new hunger for self-improvement as you mature, and that hunger will lead you to new discoveries. As your health improves, you'll realise that you need to exercise, eat healthily, and spend time with people who inspire you. You'll be motivated to work hard to achieve your goals as soon as you get a taste of this hunger.

You're afraid of Corona, aren't ya?

  

Anxiety over the COVID-19 virus can be debilitating, especially if you have an anxiety issue to begin with. 

However, you aren't completely powerless. 

These pointers can assist you in coping with the stress of this period.

Recognizing and managing your stress

It's a horrible period. A global pandemic has struck, and towns and countries alike have been forced to close their doors. Some of us live in locations where coronavirus has already spread. Others are preparing themselves for the worst. And we're all keeping tabs on the news and wondering, "What's next?"

Many people find the ambiguity around coronavirus to be the most difficult to deal with. We have no idea how awful things will get or how much of an impact they will have on us. Catastrophizing and spiralling into a state of dread and terror is all too simple because of this. Even in the face of this unprecedented catastrophe, there are numerous things you can do to manage your anxiety and panic.

Stay up to date, but don't constantly scan the headlines every day.

Make sure you know what's going on around you so that you can take the appropriate safety precautions and help to halt the spread of coronavirus. However, there is a lot of misinformation and sensationalistic media that simply serves to stoke the fires of irrationality. When it comes to what you read and see, you need to be careful.

• Only rely on reputable sources and your local health department.

Check for updates only once every several hours. Anxiety can be exacerbated rather than alleviated by constant monitoring of news and social media feeds. Keep an eye on how you're feeling, because everyone's threshold is unique.

In the event that you feel overwhelmed, take a break from the media. You may want to limit your media consumption to a set time period and/or a specific time of day if you are experiencing anxiety (e.g. thirty minutes each evening at 6 pm).

Ask a trusted friend or family member to pass along crucial information. A trusted friend or family member can pass along important news to you if you prefer to shun the media.

Keep your personal information private. Check facts before passing them on to others. We must all do our part to prevent the spread of rumours and the instigation of unwarranted fear.

Don't worry about what you can't change.

We're living through a period of enormous change. We have no idea how long the pandemic will endure, how other people will act, or what will happen in our neighbourhoods. A difficult thing to accept, and many of us respond by exploring the Internet for answers and contemplating all of the possible outcomes.. To put it another way, this method won't help us if we're focusing on questions with unknown solutions and conditions that are beyond our control.

When you start to worry about the future, try to focus on the things you can control. There is no way for you to influence how serious the coronavirus outbreak in your city or town will be. However, you can take efforts to lower your own personal risk (and the danger that you'll unintentionally spread it to others), such as:

At least 20 seconds of hand washing with soap and water or a hand sanitizer that includes at least 60% alcohol should be performed at least once a day.

• refraining from rubbing your face (particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth).

• even if you don't feel sick, stay at home as much as possible.

• avoiding large groups of more than ten people.

Shopping and travel should be avoided at all costs.

keeping at least six feet between oneself and other people while out and about is recommended.

sleeping well, which aids in the maintenance of your immune system.

• according to all health authority guidelines.

Plan for what you can do

As a parent, it's understandable to worry about what might happen if you lose your job, your children are unable to go to school, or you or someone you care about becomes ill. As frightening as these possibilities may be to contemplate, acting proactive can alleviate some of the stress.

In order to better understand how the coronavirus may affect your life, write down particular concerns you have. Take a break if you start to feel overwhelmed.

Think of all the possible answers you can come up with and write them down. Let go of your desire for "perfect" solutions. Include whatever you can think of that might assist you get through the day.

Rather than focusing on things that are beyond of your control, focus on what you can do to improve the situation.

Draw out a plan of action after you've weighed all of your possibilities. Afterward, put it away and resist the temptation to return to it unless your situation drastically changes.

Keep in touch, even if you're far away from others.

Coronavirus can be transmitted even if the infected person does not display any signs of illness, according to research. That's why social distancing is the most important thing most people can do right now to make a good impact.

Distancing yourself from your friends and family can have its drawbacks. Biologically, we are social beings. To connect with others, we're born with a predisposition towards it. Depression and anxiety are exacerbated by feelings of isolation and loneliness. Keeping in touch and reaching out for help is essential, even if we are cutting back on face-to-face interaction.

Keeping in touch with loved ones is essential. Think considering scheduling regular phone, chat, or Skype dates to combat your tendency to withdraw when sad or stressed.

If you can't meet face-to-face, try video conferencing instead. This "vitamin" for your mental health reduces your risk of depression and alleviates stress and anxiety through face-to-face contact.

If you're looking for a way to interact with people in your life and the world, social networking is a terrific option. It serves as a gentle reminder that we are not alone.

Be aware of how social media affects your mood. Never be afraid to mute remarks or individuals who make you feel anxious. And if it's making you feel worse, log out of the site.

Keep coronavirus out of the conversation at all times. Relaxation from worrying about the pandemic is essential; laughing, sharing tales, and focusing on other aspects of our lives are good ways to do this.

Be careful who you confide in when you're in need of emotional assistance because emotions are contagious.

Every one of us is going to require some kind of support or encouragement throughout this difficult period. In choosing a sounding board, be careful. It's not just the coronavirus that can spread. Emotions, too! Avoid discussing about the virus with persons who are pessimistic or who amplify your anxiety. Make the most of the people in your life who are both empathetic and logical in their thinking.

Take good care of yourself on all levels.

The tried-and-true methods of stress management, such as eating well, sleeping well, and meditating, nevertheless hold true in these hard times. In addition, here are some self-care strategies for dealing with the coronavirus' specific interruptions.

It's important to treat yourself with compassion. If you're feeling more depressed or anxious than normal, don't be too hard on yourself. You're not the only one who's going through the same things you are.

As much as possible, stick to a schedule. In the event that you're stranded in your own home, it is best to maintain a normal sleep, schooling, meal, or work schedule. A sense of normalcy will be restored.

It's important to take time out to do things you love. Whether it's a novel, a comedy, a board game, a craft, or a piece of art, there's something for everyone. Regardless of what you do, it doesn't matter as long as it helps you get your mind off of your concerns.

If you can, get out into nature. Getting some sunshine and fresh air will be beneficial. Even a short stroll around the block can lift your spirits. Avoid crowds, keep your distance from strangers, and abide by local rules and regulations.

• Find a way to get some physical activity in. Anxiety, tension, and depression can all be alleviated by engaging in physical activity. While the gym and group programmes are closed, you can still go cycling, hiking, or jogging on your own. Alternatively, if you're confined to your house, you can find workout videos to follow online. If you don't have any equipment, you can still do yoga and exercises that use your own weight.

Keep away from self-medication. If you're struggling with anxiety or depression, don't turn to alcohol and other substances to ease your symptoms. Avoid if you're prone to overdoing things even when things are going well.

Get into the habit of meditating. Restoring your neurological system's equilibrium is possible through the use of relaxation practises including deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. The best results come from consistent practise, so try to carve out some time each day to dedicate to it.

Help others out (it will make you feel better)

It's easy to get caught up in your own anxieties and worries during moments like this. It's vital to take a breath and remember that we're all in this together, despite the reports of people fighting over toilet paper or line up outside gun stores. "We're standing far apart now so that we might embrace each other afterwards," an Italian saying goes.

In times of crisis, those who focus on helping others and supporting their communities are more likely to be happy and healthy than those who focus on themselves. Donating your time and energy to others can have a positive impact on your neighbourhood, your state of mind, and even the rest of the globe. This pandemic is causing a lot of people to feel helpless. Being nice and helpful to others can give you a feeling of purpose and meaning in your life, and help you reclaim control over your circumstances.

Even if you choose to isolate yourself or keep a social distance from others, you can still do a lot to aid them.

Follow precautionary measures to keep the illness from spreading. You may help save the lives of those in your community who are most vulnerable by staying at home, washing your hands frequently, and avoiding direct contact with others.

Don't hesitate to help those in need. If you know elderly or disabled persons in your neighbourhood who are isolated, you can still help them. Helping an elderly neighbour with their shopping or filling a prescription could be an excellent idea. Packages can be dropped off at their door to prevent any direct interaction with them. It's possible that they just need a kind voice to talk to on the phone. It is possible to connect with the most vulnerable members in your community through a variety of local social media groups.

Make a donation to a food bank. In addition to depleting grocery store shelves, panic purchasing and hoarding have limited supply at food banks. Giving food or money to those in need is an excellent way to make a difference in the lives of seniors, low-income families, and anybody else.

Assist in reducing tension. Help those you care about who are in a state of fear by providing a sense of perspective. Refer them to credible news sources instead of spreading fear or giving attention to unfounded claims. Even when you're dealing with your own anxiety, being a supportive and uplifted presence in the lives of others can lift your own spirits.

Be considerate of others' feelings. Speak up if you hear unfavourable stereotypes that just encourage prejudice about infectious diseases because they are not linked to any racial or ethnic group. We all have the power to spread love and charity even quicker than the virus does if we have the appropriate mindset and intentions.

How does failure kick you in the butt in order to achieve your goals?

The need to associate only good feelings with our heroes is innate in us.

As a result, our heroes have taken on a life of their own. We don't want our favourite athletes to engage in doping or other unethical behaviour. We don't want our humanitarian or political heroes to be embroiled in sleazy scandals or illegal behaviour.. Our heroes in science should avoid the greatest of all scientific sins: admitting that they were mistaken.

When they fail to match our expectations, we feel justified in criticising them.

We think they're entitled to this humiliation.

Because of their failures, those who backed them in the past have always been questioned by history.

When people establish unrealistically high expectations for themselves, they react by judging themselves harshly for even the slightest accomplishments, such as proving a point in politics or winning an argument. They wind themselves in bitter arguments and ruminating for days about it for no good reason.

Rather than being a solo undertaking, living is an experience shared with millions of other people throughout the world. When you get it wrong, it's not a death sentence, but rather a springboard for more achievement.

The adage "once a failure, always a failure" is simply not true. Some of history's biggest failures were followed by a success that no one could have imagined, even our greatest heroes.

Despite this, we persist in our pursuit of perfection and accuracy as our two closest allies on the road to greatness. Is it true that failure weakens our thinking? Is it possible that by embracing failure, we are making the other person less driven and callous? People who believe that being severe on failure is a good approach to spur growth will be relieved if that response is yes.

Failure is a scientific fact

An MRI study by the University of Southern California and a team of international researchers has found that failure may be turned into a good experience by the brain if it chose to learn from its mistakes. 2.

Researchers have known for years that our brains learn in two different ways.

Avoidance learning is the practise of teaching children to avoid making the same mistakes again by punishing or condemning them when they make mistakes.

The reward-based learning approach is less common, but it works by rewarding the neurons in the brain each time they arrive at the correct response and rewiring their connections in the process.

Redefining mechanisms are activated in instances where there is enough information to assess and analyse the options, rather than defaulting to avoidance.

The finding of a brain region that makes you ponder if you've made a mistake and whether you've been urged to learn, take things in stride, and work on your mistakes was made by Oxford University scientists.

There are a dozen smaller areas in this part of the brain based on scans from 25 men and women. Afterward, the brain scans were compared to those of monkeys.

Incredibly, the brains of the macaque monkey and humans were found to be very different, even though they are our closest cousins. Why we are so good at working with our species and growing to a stage that no other species has even come close to reaching is most likely explained by this fact.

Among the 12 sections of the network, 11 were present in both humans and monkeys, and they were related to other parts of the brain in similar ways.

However, the macaques lacked the lateral frontal pole prefrontal cortex, which is one of our closest relatives.

It's not the first time the brains of humans and monkeys have diverged, but this is the first time a shift this pronounced has been discovered in the region responsible for the ability to change one's mind.

Rather than dwelling on what we could have done differently in other portions of the brain, this new region muses on what we may have done in the first place.

Basically, the lateral frontal pole is like a spouse who is always ready to tell you how easy it would have been to get it right if you'd just listened. To ensure that you don't do it again, the voice of authority advises you to retire to your room and ponder the consequences of your actions...

As a result, failing serves as a catalyst for growth in these areas. There would be no stress if the brain were not distracted by the negative feedback loops, which in turn stimulate our emotional brain (the amygdala). The rumination and disappointment that follow failure are caused by this self-judgement or criticism from others.

There are two equally sized areas in the prefrontal cortex, one of which Antoine Bechara, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, believes is the source of our fear of failure and our desire for achievement. The argument between risk and reward arises in this context, he explains. These areas interact during the decision-making process in a way that is reminiscent of the devil and the angel sitting on our shoulders. This is a winner-takes-all situation. The conclusion of the debate, therefore, has a significant impact on our reactions. In the event that our previous failures have permanently etched their unfavourable impressions on our brains, there isn't much we can do to reverse the process.

4.    Endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin are released in our brains when we achieve accomplishment, which encourages us to continue the activity.

Failure causes our bodies to release cortisol, which causes us to feel rejected and unsafe.

Repetitive patterns of neural activity and brain regions connected with stress have been found in neuroimaging investigations. Scan results show a decrease in activity in the higher, reflecting brains at times of acute stress. Emotional and behavioural reactions are influenced by increased activity in the lower, reactive brain. Reactive networks in the lower brain get more dense and faster, while prefrontal cortex conscious control centres become less connected to each other.

It's better to rewire your brain to grow acclimated to the sense of success than to expect failure, because concentrating on outcomes can strengthen and autonomous neural networks. It is because of this that we react to failure before we are even aware of it. It's easy to remember how many times you've had that sinking feeling before the results are announced.

It is possible to use failure as a springboard to reevaluate our approach and turn adversity into opportunity.

Basically, there are two types of mindsets: one that pushes for perfection and the other that expects it. In order to achieve perfection, one must be willing to recognise that mistakes are a part of the process.

In contrast, we know that perfection is nearly impossible, thus demanding it might lead to a lot of terrible experiences.

Emotional exhaustion and burnout can occur in those who believe that failure is not an option, or who place an unrealistic standard of perfection on themselves and are emotionally exhausted all the time because nothing they do is good enough.

Checking in on the facts

It's an ancient saying that "failure is a good teacher," yet most of us, deep down, believe that 'errorless learning' is better. Failure is no longer an option in today's fast-paced environment. It is widely accepted that if educators, managers, and parents encourage failure, it will lead to a negative future for the person who fails. Some people end up producing a horrible experience because they think they won't do it again.

Suicides and mental health issues in schools and universities are on the rise. This isn't only a problem in the United States; it's a worldwide phenomena. Burnout at work and the desire to change jobs every day is nothing more than an attempt to live up to one's own unrealistic ideals. Boredom is the most frequent disease of the previous decade, and it is simply the human brain's way of expressing "enough" to itself.

Do you have any ideas?

If you're passionate about what you do, failure will sound like a beautiful melody. It will inspire you to keep going.

Set goals that give you "regular acknowledgment feedback of incremental success." Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that promotes motivation, curiosity, perseverance, and memory when it is released by achieving these goals."

If you genuinely want to succeed, you may re-wire your brain's expectations so that your efforts will generate improvement even as the issue grows more difficult. Now is not the time to put yourself through something you don't want to do, like dieting, climbing stadium stairs, or flossing after every meal because you feel like you should. Select a goal that you will like both on the way and at the end of the journey."

Remember that there is a silver lining to stress. It's a good idea to write down all of the things that are stressing you out when you're feeling overwhelmed. Make a list of the things you can control and the things you can't manage, and then choose one of the things you can control and come up with a tiny, tangible measure you can take to lessen that one thing. Your brain can be nudged in the right direction by doing this.

It'Is a good idea to learn how to give constructive feedback to those around you. Your husband or child will be surprised when you compliment them on their blunders. A cascade effect on your approach to failure will be the result of this change.

CCreating a Growth Machine from Failure

After putting in so much effort, it is difficult to have an optimistic outlook, especially if we fail. Changing one's view of failure is a long-term process. We need to rewire our brains in order to break the automation that has been built up in our minds. It's better to look at a broken relationship or a lacklustre performance as a chance to learn rather than dwell on the repercussions.

Learning and dealing with failure should be integrated into the education system, so that we are prepared and learn how to trigger the gamma waves in our brains from an early age. We can become more resilient and successful if we learn to respond rather than react to failure.

Next time we encounter failure, let's remember that "Leaders who have developed a development storey have befriended their worst fear, "Failure," and made them their escorts to drive their success waggon. "