Children Mental Health Well Being: What Role Should Schools Play
New Delhi:
Mental Health Issues remain a taboo in India specially among students. If the statistics are anything to go by, 7.3% Indian teenagers in the age group of 13-17 suffer from mental health issues. The percentage is similar for girls and boys. India does have a National Mental Health Policy which not just seeks to reduce mental health issues but also seeks to dissipate the stigma attached to mental health problems. While the National Health policy is a right step, there is a need for additional steps and awareness to be created among school children to weed the problem out at an earlier stage.
According to the statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2015, almost 8952 students committed suicide in India. One of the common reasons for students to commit suicide is the pressure to do well in examination or failure in exam. In recent years, there has also been a rise in the number of depression cases among students in India.
As per the National Mental Health Survey, 2015 conducted by WHO, 1 in 20 people in India suffer from depression. The prevalence of mental disorders in the 13-17 age group was 7.3%. As per the report, nearly 9.8 million young Indians in the age group 13-17 were in need of active intervention. The prevalence of mental disorder was almost twice in urban areas (13.5%) in comparison to rural areas (6.9%).
Some of the most common prevalent problems were Depressive Episode and Recurrent Depressive Disorder (2.6%), Agoraphobia (2.3%), Intellectual Disability (1.7%), Autism Spectrum Disorder (1.6%), Phobic anxiety disorder (1.3%) and Psychotic disorder (1.3%).
The data is not only revealing but also alarming. As per the Indian education system, kids in the age group 13-17 undergo some major milestones of their academic career during this time. The standard age for a student who takes class 10 board exam is 14-15 and that of a student who takes class 12 board exam is 16-17. The board exams can trigger immense stress and anxiety among students which makes the role on schools immensely important.
Although, many schools and boards have begun to incorporate guidance counselors in their system to help students relieve their stress at the time of boards but is the effort enough?
In an article published by the Guardian, mental health well-being should be incorporated in the school curriculum and students, from a young age, should be equipped with knowledge and skills to make them aware of their mental well-being.
Will this work in India? In India, the approach to mental health well-being is still cautioned and mental health problems are seen as taboo. While, the course of openly talking about mental health issues is a tough one, enabling students to take care of their own well-being can certainly help in combating these issues while also creating a positive platform for discourse in future.
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According to the statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2015, almost 8952 students committed suicide in India. One of the common reasons for students to commit suicide is the pressure to do well in examination or failure in exam. In recent years, there has also been a rise in the number of depression cases among students in India.
As per the National Mental Health Survey, 2015 conducted by WHO, 1 in 20 people in India suffer from depression. The prevalence of mental disorders in the 13-17 age group was 7.3%. As per the report, nearly 9.8 million young Indians in the age group 13-17 were in need of active intervention. The prevalence of mental disorder was almost twice in urban areas (13.5%) in comparison to rural areas (6.9%).
Some of the most common prevalent problems were Depressive Episode and Recurrent Depressive Disorder (2.6%), Agoraphobia (2.3%), Intellectual Disability (1.7%), Autism Spectrum Disorder (1.6%), Phobic anxiety disorder (1.3%) and Psychotic disorder (1.3%).
The data is not only revealing but also alarming. As per the Indian education system, kids in the age group 13-17 undergo some major milestones of their academic career during this time. The standard age for a student who takes class 10 board exam is 14-15 and that of a student who takes class 12 board exam is 16-17. The board exams can trigger immense stress and anxiety among students which makes the role on schools immensely important.
Although, many schools and boards have begun to incorporate guidance counselors in their system to help students relieve their stress at the time of boards but is the effort enough?
In an article published by the Guardian, mental health well-being should be incorporated in the school curriculum and students, from a young age, should be equipped with knowledge and skills to make them aware of their mental well-being.
Will this work in India? In India, the approach to mental health well-being is still cautioned and mental health problems are seen as taboo. While, the course of openly talking about mental health issues is a tough one, enabling students to take care of their own well-being can certainly help in combating these issues while also creating a positive platform for discourse in future.
Click here for more Education News
