Page No:45-54
Tanvi Karulkar, and Kamathenu U K.,
Christ University, Bangalore Yeshwanthpur Campus, Karnataka
India’s NEET and JEE entrance exams are among the most competitive globally, with
millions of students vying for limited seats in prestigious medical and engineering
institutions. This study examines the association between Perceived Social Support
and Suicidal Ideation among students preparing for these exams, with Psychological
Well-Being as a mediator. The data was collected from 397 students aged 15-19 in
Mumbai, through purposive sampling and a correlational design was used. Standardized
measures assessed perceived social support, psychological well-being, and suicidal
ideation. Results showed the negative correlation between perceived social support
and suicidal ideation to be significant. Through mediation analysis, it was reported that
psychological well-being fully mediated this relationship, underscoring the critical role
of well-being in buffering students from academic stress. These findings emphasize
the importance of family encouragement and interventions that support psychological
well-being to reduce the alarming rates of student suicides among JEE and NEET
aspirants