Recession blues hit students abroad

Racist attacks aren’t the only cause of concern for parents of youth studying abroad. With more and more Indian students left stranded in the middle of their academic year with no jobs and no other source to support themselves, recession blues are the biggest worry, anxious parents confess. What’s worse, students simply refuse to confide in their parents back home, for the fear of making matters worse for their folk.

Sujatha Jagadeshan, the headmistress of a city school, was shocked to learn about her son’s depression from his blogs and tweets. She says, “He has been supporting himself ever since he was 18, so I guess this dark period after he lost his job in the US came as a blow to his confidence. I came to know of the terrible state he is in only after I read his blog by chance. We sent him some money from home immediately, but we want him to come back for good.”

hefty educational loans to clear and high expectations pinned on them make it difficult for many youngsters to give it all up and return home. In fact, this pent up frustration is reflected on the blogs, facebook accounts and tweets of students, but many hesitate to confide in their parents. While some have no choice but to send SOS messages home, others simply choose to bear it all and wait for a miracle. parents back home, meanwhile are afraid their wards will slip into depression and are trying to bail them out financially. Ashok Reddy (name changed) says his son, who is in the US for his Masters, is at an all-time low because of the lack of part-time jobs and his inability to fund his daily expenses.

“I don’t know how to cheer him up,” says Ashok. “I cannot even afford to bring him back home temporarily. But his distress is evident each time we talk to him and we just hope he doesn’t resort to anything extreme.”

Dr Phani Prashant, a psychiatrist, says that the situation is stressful not just for the students but for their entire family as well. But in the face of news reports about dejected youth slipping into depression, it’s important for parents to step in and provide moral support. “it is a situation from which there is no escape. Instead of letting it get you down, families must focus on the positive things. It’s happening to everybody, so going on a guilt trip or panicking will not help.”

Students abroad do tend to feel cut-off in such situations and parents should be their friends. If your child avoids talking to you about problems, get in touch with his/her friends and ensure you are in the loop. As psychiatrist, Dr Minhaz says, “Parents must do all they can to prevent them from getting lonely.”


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