Mansik shakti Foundation
The Mansik Shakti Foundation is a non profit organization registered as Section 8 under Companies Act 2013, Govt. of India, with a mission centered around promoting mental health and academic excellence, particularly for students. Its core themes are "Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind" and "Mental Health for Academic excellence'. The foundation emphasizes early intervention, prevention, and the development of evidence-based mental health strategies. It uses digital tools like mobile apps and web-based platforms to reach students and provide support.
Programme
To achieve this, Mansik Shakti Foundation has initiated a wide range of programs that are practical, evidence-based, and culturally appropriate. These programs are grouped into six key areas: mental health awareness; education and training for students, teachers, and families; digital and psychological screening and assessment; research and innovation focused on Indian youth; translation of knowledge into actionable guides and resources; and, finally, delivery of mental health support services. This is a humble but determined initiative, rooted in the belief that no student should suffer in silence. Mental health care must be made accessible, relatable, and preventive in nature. Mansik Shakti does not aim only to diagnose psychiatric disorders; rather, it focuses on addressing underlying issues, identifying emotional risk factors, and promoting a culture of mental strength, resilience, and support. Through collaboration with institutions, professionals, and communities, the Foundation hopes to create a future where mental health is not an afterthought—but a shared responsibility and a national priority.
Web App
Student's Clinical Details
(Optional, EMR)
App for Assessment
(Login Required)
Our Stakeholders
Empowering Minds
20–25% of students suffer from some form of psychological distress
Services
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Challenges in Student's Mental Health
Students today face an unrelenting demand to be the "best"—achieve top grades, gain admission to prestigious institutions, and secure high paying jobs. This culture of constant comparison leads to chronic stress, anxiety, and self-doubt, often pushing students beyond their emotional limits.
Despite growing awareness, mental health issues are still heavily stigmatized. Students fear being labelled "weak" or "unstable" and often choose to suffer in silence. This fear prevents many from seeking timely help, allowing issues to worsen over time.
Families often impose high expectations without providing emotional support or safe spaces to talk. Many students feel disconnected at home, unable to share their struggles due to a lack of understanding or generational gaps in mental health awareness.
While social media connects students virtually, it often fuels unhealthy comparisons, validation- seeking, and digital fatigue. Despite being “connected,” students may feel more isolated than ever, leading to feelings of loneliness and low self-worth.
The pandemic disrupted academic routines, social interactions, and future plans. Remote learning, social isolation, and prolonged uncertainty severely impacted students’ mental health, many of whom are still struggling to regain a sense of normalcy.
India faces a vast treatment gap in mental health—with over 80% of those in need receiving no formal care. Most educational institutions lack trained mental health professionals or structured support systems, leaving students without resources when they need them most.
Solutions to Student Mental Health Challenges: A Holistic, Preventive, and Compassionate Approach
Addressing the growing mental health challenges among students requires more than offering counseling services or helpline numbers—it calls for a comprehensive, system-wide transformation that prioritizes prevention, trust, access, and compassion. Mental health is not just about treating illness; it is about nurturing well-being from the ground up.
First, we must create safe, stigma-free environments where students feel comfortable expressing their emotional struggles. This begins with awareness campaigns that normalize conversations about mental health—both within classrooms and beyond. When emotional literacy is integrated into the school and college curriculum, students learn to identify and articulate their feelings, seek help early, and support their peers.
Second, institutions must embed psychological self-assessment tools into routine student life. Digital self-assessment apps—especially those built with cultural sensitivity and in local languages—can serve as private, empowering tools for students to explore their mental state without fear or judgment. These tools should provide immediate feedback, suggestions for self- care, and pathways to professional help if needed.
Third, we need accessible, affordable, and decentralized support systems. Not every student can reach a psychiatrist or psychologist, especially in rural or underserved areas. Trained peer supporters, teachers, and counselors can act as first responders. Task-sharing models—where non specialist personnel are trained in basic mental health response—can reduce the burden on professionals while expanding the care network.
Fourth, confidentiality and consent must be at the core of any intervention. Students should retain control over their data, decide when and how to involve family or faculty, and be empowered to make informed choices about their care. Without this trust, even the best tools will fail to engage those who need them most.
Fifth, building resilience and life skills through structured workshops, digital modules, and co- curricular activities is essential. Stress management, time organization, self-regulation, and relationship skills must become part of daily learning, not just crisis response. This turns prevention into a continuous developmental process rather than an emergency measure.
Sixth, crisis support systems must be strengthened. Apps and institutions should have real-time alerts, direct referrals to helplines like Tele-MANAS (14416), and emergency care pathways for students in distress. A single button in an app, if linked correctly, can save a life—provided the response is swift, empathetic, and professional.
Seventh, family and faculty sensitization is crucial. Workshops for parents and teachers on understanding adolescent psychology, responding with empathy, and recognizing red flags can bridge the trust gap. Without supportive adults, students often feel isolated even when help is technically available.
Finally, everything must be research-backed and continuously evaluated. Programs must measure their impact, listen to student feedback, and adapt. Government, academic institutions, NGOs, and the private sector must collaborate to scale what works and retire what doesn’t. In sum, solving student mental health challenges is not about a single policy or program—it is about reimagining the entire educational ecosystem as a space that values emotional well-being as much as academic success. When we shift from reaction to prevention, from silence to support, and from exclusion to empathy, we don’t just improve mental health—we unlock the full human potential of an entire generation.
Digital Mental Health Programmes
Digital mental health programmes provide students with round-the-clock access to self-assessment tools, emotional support, and professional guidance through user-friendly mobile and web platforms. These programs are designed to be culturally relevant and accessible, making mental health care more inclusive and stigma-free. By enabling early identification of stress, anxiety, and related concerns, they offer personalized feedback and connect students to timely support, especially in areas where traditional services are limited.
Mental health challenges in students’ lives are increasingly visible, with alarming rises in suicide rates, depression, stress, and academic pressure. Early intervention requires timely identification, screening, and assessment. However, in a culturally diverse country with limited mental health resources, such processes are difficult to organize. These challenges are further compounded by barriers such as stigma, denial, lack of awareness, poor mental health literacy, parental attitudes, prejudice, and a lack of engagement from teaching faculty. We believe that empowering students with tools for self-assessment, scientific decision-making, and autonomous access to care can help overcome many of these obstacles.
Accordingly, we developed six psychometric instruments based on the theme of multidimensional evaluation, validated them, digitized the tools, and tested their effectiveness and concordance rates against psychiatrists’ clinical opinions. The system is straightforward: students complete the assessment in approximately 20 minutes and receive a structured report detailing their stress level, warning signs, mental health symptoms, risk profile, resilience, positivity, and overall functioning.
Recommendations are provided for guided decision-making—whether for self-development, connecting with a counsellor or psychiatrist, or calling Tele-MANAS for immediate support. To date, trials have involved 1,042 students across four institutions. Findings indicate strong instrument validity: 15% experienced severe stress, 21% reported significant symptoms, 7% required psychiatric consultation, and 29% required counselling. Concordance rates between psychiatric assessments and app-based recommendations ranged from 86% to 90%, with high positive and negative predictive validity. While not without limitations, this model offers an effective preliminary framework for largescale mental health screening.
We have established collaborations with universities, providing the software free of cost with the request that they ensure follow-up support for students in need. Eleven universities have signed memoranda of understanding to date. This workshop will discuss digital innovations in student mental health, examining their effectiveness, scalability, and real-world feasibility.
Our Project
How does it work?
Using psychometric tools which are newly developed and validated by research study. "Psychometric tools" are simply tests or assessments that measure things like a person’s abilities, personality traits, or mental health.
Unique Features
Self-Assessment in Mental Health: An Overview
Self-assessment in the context of mental health refers to the process by which individuals evaluate their own psychological well-being, emotional states, and behavioral patterns. It is a reflective and self-inquiring process that can help identify symptoms of mental health conditions, personal strengths, weaknesses, and coping strategies. Self-assessment is a powerful tool, especially for students, as it empowers them to monitor their mental health, make informed decisions, and take proactive steps to maintain or improve their well-being.
Read MoreEvidence-Based Algorithms for Mental Health
Evidence-based algorithms are like trusted "recipe guides" that doctors and other professionals use to make informed decisions. These guides are built on solid facts, research, and real-world data, showing the most effective and reliable methods for diagnosing and treating specific conditions or problems. Instead of relying on guesses, these algorithms follow proven steps to ensure the best outcomes for the individual.
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Merits & Advantage
NoTension4Students.com leverages modern technology and research-driven methodologies to provide a scalable, efficient, and student-friendly alternative (i.e. easy to expand, quick to use, and simple for students to understand) to traditional mental health services. It aligns academic goals with psychological well-being, ensuring students thrive both mentally and academically. This platform exemplifies how mental health initiatives can integrate seamlessly into educational settings, transforming the way students manage stress and achieve their potential.The Significance of Screening and Assessment of School Populations for Mental Health Mental health issues among children and adolescents are an increasingly critical concern globally, and India is no exception.
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What is the result?
In the bustling halls of educational institutions worldwide, a silent epidemic is steadily gaining ground—a psychological crisis that threatens the well-being of our students. Today, more than half of them stand at the brink of this looming crisis, grappling with severe stress, depression, suicidal thoughts, addiction, and a myriad of issues stemming from competitiveness, academic pressures, and peer expectations. This epidemic is spreading like wildfire, and it demands a concerted, urgent effort to save lives and safeguard the mental health of our future generations. Amidst the pursuit of knowledge, personal growth, and dreams of success, students often confront a formidable foe—the invisible struggles within themselves. The modern educational landscape is rife with challenges that can have profound consequences on the psychological well-being of our youth. The relentless pressure to excel academically, secure high grades, and enter prestigious institutions weighs heavily on students' minds. The psychological challenges of students are not isolated incidents but prevalent issues affecting individuals and communities across the globe. By bringing this issue into the public discourse, we can create a society that values the mental well-being of its students as highly as their academic achievements.
Read MoreWhat is the tool?
Empowering students in India with early detection, personalized support, and data-driven strategies to enhance resilience, manage stress, and promote mental well-being, fostering a healthier and more successful educational journey.Empowering students in India with early detection, personalized support, and data-driven strategies to enhance resilience, manage stress, and promote mental well-being, fostering a healthier and more successful educational journey.
Psychometric Scales
Psychometric tests are standardized tools designed to measure an individual's psychological attributes, such as cognitive abilities, personality traits, attitudes, emotions, and mental health. For students, psychometric assessments can offer valuable insights into various aspects of their functioning, from academic skills to emotional well-being.
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Sales Assessment
Self-assessment in the context of mental health refers to the process by which individuals evaluate their own psychological well-being, emotional states, and behavioral patterns. It is a reflective and self-inquiring process that can help identify symptoms of mental health conditions, personal strengths, weaknesses, and coping strategies.
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Results using evidence criteria
Evidence-based algorithms are like trusted "recipe guides" that doctors and other professionals use to make informed decisions. These guides are built on solid facts, research, and real-world data, showing the most effective and reliable methods for diagnosing and treating specific conditions or problems. Instead of relying on guesses, these algorithms follow proven steps to ensure the best outcomes for the individual.
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Guided-decision-making
The second set of criteria in the algorithm developed ‘guided-decision-making’ and makes one out of three recommendations Need to see a counsellor Need to see a psychiatrist These outcomes are determined by using set criteria e.g. presence of a psychiatric warning symptom demands a psychiatric evaluation or presence of high level of stress in conjunction with mental health risk demands connecting with a counselor
Read MoreAbout the Result and the Next Step
Self Development
Connect with Counsellor
Cautionary Notice for Users
Please note that participation in these assessments is entirely voluntary and based on your free will. It is important that you do not take the test under any pressure from others. Before proceeding, we encourage you to carefully read the full information about these tests, their purpose, and what actions are required afterward. For students aged 16 to 18 years, it is advised that you take the screening test with your parents' involvement and presence, not independently. Parental consent is necessary to ensure that your parents are fully informed about your participation and the results of the self-assessment.
While we understand that you may feel hesitant to share certain details in the presence of others, it is crucial that your parents are aware of your mental health and understand the steps you are taking to evaluate it. For students aged 18 years and above , as adults, you have the right to make individual decisions, including providing consent and performing the test on your own. You may download and review the report independently. However, it is highly recommended that you follow the advice provided in the report. We encourage you to discuss your results with your parents, share your thoughts with them, and seek their input.
The Mansik Shakti Foundation is a non profit organization registered as Section 8onally, speaking with your mentors or teachers can provide further insight and support. Please remember that seeking help promptly is important and delaying it can be harmful. Your parents are often your best allies, and they are the first people who can offer support during times of difficulty.
Collaborators
