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Mental Health Awareness And Its Inclusion Into The Indian Education System
31 Dec 2024
“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about.” – Jonathan Harnisch.
What Is Mental Health Why Is It Important?
Mental health conversations have started garnering attention and impact in several sectors in the country, especially with GenZ voicing out and normalising conversations on emotional well-being. India has also been seeing several start-ups rise on the business block, and with varying times, there has been a significant transition in the psychological needs of individuals, emphasising the importance of mental health.
WHO defines health as a state of life where physical and mental health are equally important and nourished. Familiarising dialogues with students concerning the importance of mental health and its practices can be tricky. “As per the National Mental Health Survey conducted by NIMHANS, the prevalence of mental disorders in India, including common, severe, and substance use disorders, is about 10.6% in adults above 18 years. This highlights the urgent need for mental health services in educational and professional settings .”
Nonetheless, this will ultimately strengthen them by connecting them to their origins and building their foundations with bravery, optimism, and compassion.
The education world underwent an immense amount of transition as the pandemic carried its level of difficulties and inconvenience, which resulted in impacting students’ mental health.
While educational institutes re-opened, some students needed time to adjust to their changing environment and the social anxiety that came with it.
Why Is Mental Health Conversation The Need Of The Hour In India?
Research states that most mental illnesses in children, almost 50% of them, begin by age 1, and 75% of mental health issues in children occur by the mid-20s. Despite the numbers being this, the presence and availability of awareness and resources contributing to the development of mental health awareness is still inadequate when considering the growing demand.
Students who undergo mental health concerns start to have profound implications on academics, personal life, behaviour, social relationships, self-esteem and their professional space. The only pressing problem is that Mental health resources are scarce, with only 1 psychologist for every 13,000 people, compared to the WHO-recommended ratio of 1 for every 1,000.
How Can Schools Contribute Towards A Student's Emotional Wellness?
Mental Health Dialogues:
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Positive mental health discussions must be normalised in schools through counselling sessions and emotional wellness partnerships with organisations.
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Catering to students' needs by inculcating active listening skills, offering resources that contribute to their emotional wellness, and orienting them about coping mechanisms such as basic grounding techniques, journaling, and mindfulness will help them in the long run.
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As per research, those educational institutes that understand and support the prevalence of mental health awareness programmes saw a 15-20% improvement in students’ academic performance.
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Through these wellness initiatives, students feel safe, belong, and are accepted, which motivates them to have these conversations with their parents, friends, teachers, and mentors.
Peer Support Programmes:
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By introducing peer support systems, students find it simple and easy to communicate with their peers, making them feel less lonely and embrace their journey towards creating a positive mental health space
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These organisations allow students to exchange experiences, offer support, and lessen feelings of isolation. They foster a sense of community that is essential among students.
Stress-Management Techniques:
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If they are in an unfortunate circumstance that impacts their mental wellness, keep them updated with simple calming techniques and stress management activities, like reciting numbers from 1 to 10.
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Orient them with positive mental health activities like affirmations and self-talk, where they speak to themselves in challenging situations. Some of the sentences to let them know include: "Relax! I don't need to get angry about it," "I am not going to let him bug me," and "I am okay."
What Are Some Ways To Identify If A Student Is Dealing With Mental Health Concerns?
Students make their first role models with teachers, and somehow, these teachers are their heroes and support systems as students spend their maximum time in educational institutions.
According to Research, “The National Tele-Mental Health Programme, launched in October 2022, has set up 46 Tele-MANAS Cells across 34 states, handling over 500,000 calls as of December 2023. This initiative improves access to mental health counselling for people in remote and urban areas.”
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A fall in their regular grades drops in interest, and incomplete assignments directly indicate that the student is losing interest in the subject and requires special teacher attention.
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Aspects of irritation, frustration, attitude changes, extreme outbursts of emotions, and patterns of withdrawals from friends and extracurricular activities are also early signs of mental health concerns.
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Sudden changes in their physical health, regularly falling sick, avoiding food and experiencing headaches and mood swings also constitute poor mental health conditions.
Now that we’ve understood the need for mental health awareness among teachers let’s dive into the ways of ensuring the same:
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Counsellors can begin empowering teachers by disseminating self-explanatory resources on child psychology, stress, adolescence, exam anxiety, and dealing with everyday pressure.
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Mandatory mental health courses in the teacher training curriculum would ensure that teachers are equipped to be educators of tomorrow’s future. Educational institutions can also arrange mental health training sessions to ensure that teachers are up-to-date with the latest developments.
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‘Open forums can be initiated by educational institutions for teachers and other educators to identify the importance of mental health discussions and understand their issues and ways to resolve them. Alternatively, teachers can initiate peer-to-peer discussions to normalise mental health conversations.
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Encouraging discussions about the overall development of children in PTA meetings rather than just focussing on academic development.
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