Summary: Learn about five key mental health rights every young person in India should know under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, including access to care, informed decision-making, confidentiality, dignity, non-discrimination and community living. Discover how students can advocate for better mental health support and access resources from CMHLP.
For many young people, the transition into adulthood comes with competing expectations: perform well in examinations, secure a place in college, find employment, manage relationships, and build an independent future.
For students in particular, academic performance can feel closely tied to their sense of identity and future prospects. Events in 2026 around competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG paper leak and subsequent disruptions to the examination process, brought some of these pressures into public view. Thousands of students preparing for high-stakes examinations experienced uncertainty around results, admissions and their next steps.
UNICEF India notes that 11% of students surveyed by NCERT in 2022 reported anxiety, 14% experienced extreme emotions, and 43% reported mood swings.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in seven adolescents aged 10–19 experiences a mental health condition, while suicide is among the leading causes of death among people aged 15–29.
In this context, knowing your rights, and knowing where to seek support, matters.
1. You have a right to access mental healthcare
India's Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (MHCA) established a rights-based framework for mental healthcare. It recognises the dignity, autonomy and participation of people with mental health conditions and affirms the right to access mental healthcare and treatment. This right is particularly important for young people navigating education, employment and other life transitions.
In July 2025, the Supreme Court reinforced this principle in its guidelines for schools, colleges, coaching institutes and training centres, recognising that the constitutional right to life includes dignity, autonomy and wellbeing.
India’s top court directed educational institutions to put concrete safeguards in place, including mental health policies, access to trained counsellors or referral services, visible suicide prevention helplines, staff training, and measures to address harassment, ragging, discrimination and excessive academic pressure.
Students and parents can use these directions to ask their schools, colleges and universities what systems are in place to protect student mental health.
2. You have a right to participate in decisions about your care
Receiving mental healthcare does not mean giving up your autonomy.
The MHCA recognises a person's capacity to make decisions regarding their mental healthcare and establishes the principle of informed consent. It also provides for advance directives, allowing people to communicate their preferences about future mental healthcare and treatment.
Young people should be able to ask questions, understand their treatment options and participate meaningfully in decisions about their care, within the framework of the law.
3. You have a right to confidentiality and privacy
For many young people, one of the biggest barriers to seeking support is the fear of being judged, or of others finding out.
The MHCA recognises a person's right to confidentiality regarding their mental health, treatment and physical healthcare, subject to specific exceptions under the law.
This protection can make it easier for people to speak honestly about what they are experiencing and seek appropriate support.
4. You have a right to dignity and protection from discrimination
A mental health condition should never take away a person's dignity or equal rights.
The MHCA provides protection against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and recognises the right to equality and non-discrimination.
This matters in classrooms, workplaces, healthcare settings and communities. A young person should not have to hide their mental health condition because they fear being treated differently or excluded.
5. You have a right to live in the community and to seek redress
Mental healthcare should not mean being separated from everyday life.
The MHCA recognises the right to community living and seeks to ensure that people with mental health conditions can remain connected to their families and communities.
The Act also provides mechanisms for people to raise grievances and protect their rights, including through Mental Health Review Boards.
Mental health support should meet young people where they are
There is no single experience of being young in India.
A rights-based mental health system should make it possible for young people to access information, make choices, seek help without fear of discrimination, and remain connected to their communities.
Knowing your rights is one step towards navigating mental healthcare with greater confidence. Knowing that you don't have to navigate difficult moments alone is another.
Resources for Support
In case the conversations feel heavy, and you require emotional support you can reach out to the following helplines for support: has also developed a visualhas also developed a visual
- Outlive Chat – a free anonymous and confidential chat-based peer support helpline for youth 18 to 25 years available from 3 PM to 9 PM at chat.outlive.in. We are a gender-affirming, caste-sensitive and disability-inclusive space, dedicated to making support accessible to young people across identities, backgrounds and abilities.
- SNEHA Suicide Prevention Helpline (https://snehaindia.org/new/) available between 10.00 a.m to 10.00 p.m at +91-44-24640050.
- iCALL (https://icallhelpline.org/) available from Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at 915298782
Want to know more?
The MHCA 2017 App is a user-friendly digital guide designed to make the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 more accessible and actionable. By simplifying legal information and offering practical resources such as application templates, directories of authorities, compliance checklists, FAQs, and personalised state-specific guidance, the app helps service users, caregivers, providers, and advocates better understand and navigate mental health rights and procedures in India.
The Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP) has also developed a visual summery of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 that explains key rights in an accessible format.
