According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), India tops the list of countries with the maximum number of mental and behavioural disorders. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an Indian student commits suicide every hour. Why do students in India face stress levels high enough to commit suicide?
Nearly five months into one of the worst global pandemics, we are now fighting to stay sane. The effect of the pandemic on our education system has remained hidden behind other stories on healthcare, national security, and the migrant labour crisis. Unlike corporate organisations, educational institutions have struggled to go virtual. Semesters in universities have been indefinitely postponed, abruptly finished, or just abandoned. Students have lost employment offers and face uncertainty in higher education as well. Schools have shifted to the online mode, and state-level examinations have been cancelled. According to a report by UNESCO, around 188 countries completely shut their educational institutions, impacting more than 1.5 billion students globally. In fact, all national level entrance examinations, including IIT JEE, NEET, CFA, UPSC, have been postponed multiple times already. Unfortunately, we do not have a structure in place to address the stress this creates in students’ minds.
How can we help such students? The critical issue in Indian society is the stigma surrounding mental health support.
What can be done
Here are some solutions to tackle this issue:
More than the children, parents should realise it is absolutely normal to seek help. Healthy communication and support from parents can make a considerable difference to children’s health.
Parents should make age-appropriate boundaries. They should not stop themselves from discussing topics like alcohol, relationships, and puberty, apart from exams and careers.
Students should have an outlet for open dialogue; a mentor they can comfortably confide in without the fear of judgement or punishment.
Accessibility and affordability tend to restrict the use of professional counselling services in India. Educational institutes must provide free counselling systems to students, so that they can avail of them whenever needed
On a larger scale, teachers should be trained to develop the capacity to understand the psychological aspects of student health. This will allow them to provide appropriate guidance. In other words, teachers will become the ‘First-Aid’ in mental health support. Along with private and non-profit organisations that can create impact in this space, schools can also take several steps to ensure the mental well-being of their students by:
Organising weekly peer-to-peer support group meetings where students can share their issues and get advice from their peers.
Having a nap space in institutes, which can be used by students when they are feeling lethargic. Thirty minutes of rest can lead to 100% more productivity.
Incorporating Mental Health curriculum in schools and teaching students about the various risks associated with different psychological issues and strategies to overcome them.
Providing free counselling support to students.
Having regular 1:1 student-teacher sessions where the teacher can discuss non-academic issues.
In addition to such simple steps, it is crucial for every member of the community to play a role in addressing this challenge and to act immediately and effectively.
The writers are IIT Delhi alumni. Email aishwaryasingh 898@ gmail.com utkarshagrawal01@gmail.com
Disclaimer: Views are personal and don’t represent the views of any organisation.
