“I’m Fine” Isn’t Always Fine: Why Young Indians Still Hide Emotional Distress
young Indians emotional distress
“I’m fine.”
It is probably one of the easiest things to say when someone asks how we are doing. It is also sometimes one of the least honest.
Why Do Young Indians Say “I’m Fine” When They Aren’t?
For many young people, “I’m fine” can mean “I don't want to explain,” “I don't know how to explain,” or simply “I don't want anyone to worry about me.” A new Mpower survey suggests that this habit of hiding difficult emotions is far more common among young Indians than we might assume.
The 2026 survey, released on World Suicide Prevention Day, collected responses from young adults aged 18 to 25 across ten regions in India. Nearly half — 49.5% — said they hide difficult emotions and try to deal with them on their own. Only 9.2% said they had sought professional help.
How Young Indians Hide Emotional Distress
And sometimes, hiding distress does not even look like sadness.
According to the survey, 40.9% of respondents said they tell people “I’m fine” when they are not. Another 40.4% said they smile so people will not ask questions, while 32% said they pretend nothing is wrong. For some, staying constantly occupied becomes a way of avoiding what they are actually feeling.
That makes the phrase “I’m fine” worth looking at differently.
We often imagine emotional distress as something obvious. Someone crying, withdrawing from everyone or openly saying that they are struggling. But distress can also look like attending class normally, replying to messages, laughing with friends and continuing with everyday responsibilities while privately feeling overwhelmed.
Why Young People Hesitate to Talk About Mental Health
Young people may also have plenty of reasons for not speaking up. There is the fear of being judged, the pressure to appear capable and the worry that talking about a problem will make it feel more serious than it already does. Sometimes there is also the simple belief that other people have bigger problems to deal with.
And when someone finally does open up, the response they receive matters.
The Mpower survey found that dismissive reactions are common. Around 40.4% reported being told to “be strong,” while others were told they were overthinking or were encouraged to focus on work or studies. Only 13.6% said someone listened without judgement and offered support.
That difference is important.
Telling someone to be strong might be intended as encouragement, but it can also unintentionally communicate that showing vulnerability is a weakness. Telling someone to stop overthinking may be meant to reassure them, but it does not necessarily make the problem disappear.
Sometimes people do not need an immediate solution. They need someone who can stay in the conversation without trying to rush them out of it.
How Emotional Distress Affects Everyday Life
The survey also found that emotional distress can show up in everyday behaviour. Nearly 47% of respondents reported becoming angry or irritated more easily, while 36.7% reported difficulty concentrating or enjoying things. For 31.3%, distress affected their everyday work or routine.
This is why mental-health conversations cannot stop at awareness.
Young Indians today are exposed to more mental-health vocabulary than previous generations. Words such as anxiety, burnout, therapy and boundaries have become part of everyday conversations, particularly online. But knowing the words does not automatically make it easier to admit that something is wrong.
There is a difference between saying “mental health matters” and creating an environment where someone feels safe enough to say, “Actually, I’m not okay.”
How We Can Respond When Someone Says “I’m Fine”
Maybe that starts with changing the way we respond.
Instead of immediately giving advice, we could ask what someone needs. Instead of dismissing their feelings as overthinking, we could give them space to explain. And instead of assuming that someone who looks perfectly normal must be doing perfectly fine, we could remember that people are often much better at hiding things than we realise.
None of this means every difficult emotion needs to become a crisis or a diagnosis. Feeling sad, stressed or overwhelmed is part of being human. But when distress starts affecting everyday life or becomes difficult to manage alone, professional support can be important.
The bigger lesson from the survey may be simpler than any statistic: people are more likely to talk when they believe they will actually be heard.
So the next time someone says “I’m fine,” there is no need to interrogate them or assume they are secretly struggling. But there is also nothing wrong with leaving the door open.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m here if you want to talk.”
Sometimes, that little bit of space can make it easier to tell the truth.
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