SHATTERED EXPECTATIONS: QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS INTO PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING THROUGH SUICIDAL NARRATIVES OF MEDICAL ASPIRANTS

Abstract

World Health Organization underscores mental health as a universal human right and a cornerstone of Sustainable Development Goal 3, the rising suicides among India’s medical aspirants expose a silent crisis undermining young mind’s well-being and the future of healthcare. Without mental strength, even the most brilliant minds may falter; with it, even the most challenging journeys become survivable. The increasing number of suicides among National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants in India presents a disturbing trend that highlights the urgent need to examine the psychological well-being of youth pursuing a career in medicine. This qualitative study analyses secondary data from a range of national news media sources, documenting suicide cases from 2023 to 2025 involving medical aspirants. Despite the expansion of medical institutions and rising competition in entrance examinations, there is limited scientific exploration regarding psychological wellbeing of these aspirants. The study critically explores contributing factors such as academic pressure, repeated failure, parental expectations, isolation in coaching environments, financial constraints, and the absence of structured mental health support. Drawing insights from the related literatures, this paper identifies core thematic areas including personal, institutional stressors, family-related challenges that affect aspirants’ mental health and established the theoretical linkages of suicidal hazards in present scenario. The findings underscore the need for multi-level interventions, including mental health education, counselling infrastructure, coping strategies and longitudinal tracking of students’ psychological well-being. The study calls for urgent policy attention and research efforts to mitigate the psychosocial risks among aspirants and build a resilient healthcare education system.