Why RELIEF was created
India has nearly 70 million students in higher education and
coaching institutions. It is estimated that almost 20% experience
significant psychological distress, while 10–15% develop clinically
significant mental disorders during this critical period of life.
Psychological distress may appear as anxiety, depression, suicidal
thoughts, self-harm, substance misuse, reckless behaviour, poor
academic performance, interpersonal conflict or emotional withdrawal.
These signs may emerge long before a psychiatric disorder is
formally recognised.
Yet many students never seek help. Stigma, denial, financial
barriers, limited awareness and uncertainty about where to go all
delay access to care. At the same time, India faces a serious shortage
of psychiatrists, psychologists and trained counsellors.
The deeper problem is fragmentation
A student may need a confidential place to begin a conversation,
a structured assessment, an understanding of risk, access to an
appropriate professional and continued support after treatment
begins.
In most settings, these functions operate separately—if they are
available at all. Our multidisciplinary team therefore undertook an
extensive needs assessment involving universities, counsellors,
students and mental health professionals.
RELIEF was developed in response to what we learned: effective
mental healthcare requires a coordinated pathway rather than a
collection of disconnected services.
Engaging students before problems become severe
The first point of contact is an AI-powered conversational platform
through which students can discuss emotional concerns confidentially,
24 hours a day.
The platform provides empathetic engagement through structured
conversations, a ten-session guided support programme and
evidence-based wellness practices. Human tele-counselling can be
introduced whenever additional support is required.
Artificial intelligence is used to improve engagement, accessibility
and guided self-help. It does not replace clinical judgement or the
work of qualified mental health professionals.
Assessment that sees the whole person
RELIEF includes six culturally developed psychometric instruments
designed specifically for Indian students. Unlike conventional
approaches that focus only on symptoms, the assessments consider
both vulnerabilities and strengths.
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Stress severity
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Sources of stress
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Resilience and coping
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Mental health symptoms
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Clinical risk
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Level of functioning
The instruments have been studied in more than 1,700 university
students and have demonstrated good reliability, validity,
confidentiality and practical usefulness.
Is the student currently experiencing a mental health problem?
What is the likelihood that a significant disorder may develop
if timely intervention does not occur?
From assessment to appropriate care
Assessment findings are translated into personalised recommendations.
Depending on the individual’s needs, students may be referred to
counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, emergency services or
community mental health resources.
This creates a stepped-care model in which each person receives the
appropriate level of intervention at the appropriate time. RELIEF is
designed to strengthen existing counselling and clinical services,
not replace them.
Care beyond the consultation
RELIEF extends beyond assessment and referral through a secure
mental-health-focused Electronic Medical Record and home-based care
system.
Clinicians can support follow-up consultations, medication
monitoring, symptom tracking, side-effect reporting, appointment
scheduling and relapse prevention. These mechanisms help maintain
continuity of care and make it easier to identify deterioration
before a crisis develops.
Building lifelong mental strength
Mental healthcare should not end with treatment. The platform also
supports prevention, resilience and lifelong wellbeing through
contemporary psychology, positive psychology, cognitive behavioural
principles, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, breathing practices and
relevant Indian knowledge systems.
The goal is not merely to reduce symptoms. It is to strengthen
emotional balance, coping capacity, self-awareness and the ability
to navigate future challenges.
RELIEF is our effort to create a preventive, accessible,
evidence-informed and professionally supported system that reaches
people before psychological distress becomes an emergency.
Amresh Shrivastava
Dr. Amresh Shrivastava
Founder & Director, RELIEF
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry,
Western University, Canada
Adjunct Scientist,
Lawson Health Research Institute, Canada
