It’s been about two months since the Chennai Corporation’s school mental health programme began, and the project’s team is now considering incorporating individual sessions for students who need them.
Begun in June, the programme is being implemented by a four-member team from the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in five Chennai Corporation schools for students in classes VI to IX, and is aimed at both improving the mental well being of children and early identification of disorders.
“The children seem happy with the sessions, which are all activity based and done in groups. But we have found students coming to us and asking if they could talk to us individually,” said Syjo Davis, a psychiatric social worker with SCARF and coordinator of the programme.
And so, the team is considering having individual sessions after the class programme, where students and perhaps even parents could be counselled.
“Depending on the number of children opting for this, we will do it anywhere between once a week and once a month,” said Lakshmi Venkatraman, consultant psychiatrist at SCARF and in charge of the programme.
“Where the team can help, it will, and if the problem is serious, they would refer the child for psychiatric help,” she said.
While there have been efforts to offer counselling services at Corporation schools, not all have them.
Child and adolescent mental health issues are widely prevalent, said R. Thara, director of SCARF and it is essential to identify them early.
“Parents must know that not everything can be dismissed as a ‘growing up problem’ that will eventually resolve itself. Mental health problems must not be pushed under the carpet,” she said.
Teachers being trained
Teachers are being trained to looks for signs of behavioural problems, learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, depression and other mental health issues and to either help students or refer them to psychiatrists.
The programme uses an adapted version of modules developed by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, and is funded by IT firm Infosys.
Child and adolescent mental health issues are widely prevalent
