Not Failure, But Indian Students Battle Fear of Disappointing: Survey

Through the GM5 surveys conducted across schools in Telangana, she and her team have been able to understand how the weight of expectation—often amplified by societal and familial pressures—intersects with growing anxiety among children and adolescents. “The concerns about the future, the environment, performance, and adjustment are universal,” she says, “but the Indian context adds this very powerful external lens of validation, which is both beautiful and burdensome.”

Give Me Five, a Sydney-based mental health technology company founded by Dr. Fahey, has been building a bridge between clinical psychology and digital accessibility. The GM5 platform offers evidence-based screening tools, customizable question banks, and digital pathways that make early detection of psychological distress both scalable and personal. Its pilot work across Indian schools—especially in Telangana—has shown how simple questions, when asked with empathy, can create profound openings for communication.

Dr. Fahey recalls a moment that stayed with her from a school in Bengaluru. “After a screening, a young girl said, ‘The questions were very simple, but I have never been asked them before.’ That, to me, said everything. No one had asked her how she was sleeping, what she was anxious about, or whether she felt she could talk to someone about her worries. Sometimes, asking is the beginning of healing.”

The platform’s design is built on this philosophy: to make conversations around mental health easier, earlier, and more inclusive. “Not every situation needs therapy,” she says. “We don’t have enough therapists anywhere in the world, but we can coach parents, equip teachers, and empower families with simple, accessible tools.”

That family connection, she believes, is key—especially in India. “We need to help families understand what is optimal stress,” she says. “There’s good stress that motivates, and then there’s pressure that breaks. When tough love lacks empathy, it pushes children into anxiety and withdrawal.” In many families, both parents are working, and the time to observe or engage deeply with children is shrinking. “Parents themselves are anxious,” she adds. “And that anxiety is contagious. It flows through the family.”

To address this, Give Me Five has been designed not just as an individual tool, but as a family and community ally. The app integrates features such as goal setting, wellness check-ins, chat options for reaching out, and even gamification for younger users. “We know technology is part of the problem,” says Dr. Fahey, “but it’s also the solution—if used wisely.”

Her co-founder Brendan adds, “We will have phones everywhere, so let’s make sure there’s something on that phone that’s a desirable, positive option. Parents should be able to say, ‘Yes, you can use your phone—but use this too.’”

The app allows users to select wellness goals—ranging from relationships and focus to resilience and general wellbeing—and adapts its questions and tips based on age and context. Importantly, it is not a diagnostic tool. “There’s no labeling,” says Dr. Fahey. “It’s a screening tool. It simply says, ‘Here are some warning signs—take care of yourself now.’”

For younger users, gamified elements help engage attention while building mental health literacy. “They are distracted and distressed,” she says gently. “We have to meet them where they are.” Through subtle design choices and accessible language, the app aims to normalize mental health dialogue and reduce stigma. “People are more willing to press a button that says ‘Please help me’ than to say it out loud,” she notes. “That small digital act can save a life.”

The GM5 pilot in Telangana also revealed an unexpected outcome—teachers asking to be screened. “They said, ‘We realize our wellness is challenged too, by being in a relationship with students who are struggling.’ That was such an important insight,” she reflects.

Hyderabad, where Give Me Five has chosen to anchor its Indian journey, holds both emotional and strategic significance. “I grew up here,” says Dr. Fahey, “so it’s deeply personal. But it’s also a tech city that understands what we are doing—a place where digital innovation and mental health awareness can converge.” From here, she hopes to expand across states, building models tailored to local cultures and languages.

Her long-term vision is clear: to make mental wellness a shared, family-supported experience. “Mental health doesn’t have boundaries,” she says. “Whether it’s Australia, the US, or India, we are all facing the same human challenges. The difference lies in how connected we are to one another.”

And in a world where children are increasingly turning to screens for connection, Dr. Fahey’s mission is to make sure that, somewhere on those screens, there’s a space for care, conversation, and calm—a digital hand that says, “Give me five.”