Are schools taking care of the mental health of students?

Last year on November 23, during the Child Rights Parliament, around 60 students from Karnataka came to discuss their issues with legislators at Vidhan Soudha —the grand building which is the seat of state legislature — in Bengaluru. Child Rights Trust, an NGO, working with disadvantaged children of the southern state, organised the meeting.

It's an annual event but because of the coronavirus pandemic and other impediments, the programme was conducted after a gap of five years in 2023. The students, mostly from rural areas, raised a pertinent subject never discussed with politicians earlier. The children wanted "their mental health to be given priority and looked after".

They stressed the need for the appointment of school counsellors to help them deal with their issues, including the pressure to excel in their academics.

Almost eight months later, the authorities in July responded. Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Department D Randeep wrote a letter on July 12 to the Health and Family Welfare Principal Secretary, stating, “High school and college students can avail themselves of counselling from counsellors and doctors at taluk and district hospitals under the District Mental Health Programme and Taluk Mental Health Programme, which are implemented in all districts and the Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesdays and Fridays. Children suffering from mental health problems can also avail themselves of counselling from the doctors of a nearby hospital or medical college free of charge."

Activists, mental health experts and students welcomed the government's response. They, however, expressed apprehension if students would be "proactive enough to go to hospitals because of the stigma attached with mental health issues".

"The students need in-house counselling facilities on campuses. A school counsellor will be easily accessible to students. A counsellor can provide short-term counselling and crisis intervention to help students with mental health issues or situational concerns," said Nagasimha Rao, a child rights activist from Bengaluru.

‘A difficult time for students’

Like in Karnataka, more and more students from across the country have started talking about their mental health and the need to address them.

"It is not easy to be a student in today's times," said Manavi (name changed), a class eleven student from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. "I have to score good grades which is not less than 90 per cent. I have to be good at my extra-curricular activities. I have to have a hobby where I need to excel too. Because all my friends are doing well in everything they are doing. The pressure keeps me on my toes. I don't have time for myself. I don't get to relax for a while. Sometimes, I feel my childhood is almost over," added Manavi.

Manavi is right (partially) because it has never been easy to be a student—the crucial stage when the foundation of an individual is laid out. The period defines (often) what a person would become later in life.

With greater awareness comes greater acceptance of the trials and tribulations of growing up. With the advent of social media, when every child (especially in urban areas) has internet access, things have become easier but complicated at the same time.

What ails the children?

Some of the common mental health challenges faced by students are academic pressure, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep deprivation, suicidal thoughts, addiction and social pressure, to name a few.

The students The Federal spoke to said they don't feel comfortable sharing their fears and concerns with others. Often they prefer to "hide their realities" from their family members.

"It becomes very isolating at times. I was struggling with my studies. My grades were going down. It made me more and more anxious. But I could not seek help from anyone. I hid things from my parents. I thought it would add to their burden as they were already doing so much for me.

"In school, teachers were too busy to be approached. I have many friends but to talk about my intimate fear is something I was not comfortable doing. That is when I felt the need for a counsellor in my school," said Diya (name changed), a student from a private school in Kolkata.

There are counsellors in several schools in tier-1 and tier-2 cities. These are usually private schools. Still many don't have a full-time professional counsellor. One major concern about school counsellors is that they are "not well-trained enough to deal with children's issues because often schools entrust one of their teachers with the additional responsibility of counselling the children".

What is counselling and its best practices?

Lalitha Bai, certified counsellor and former school principal from Bengaluru, said that counselling is (talk) therapy. "Counselling is not about giving advice. It is listening to a child and trying to show her the path (with probably one or two questions) to solve issues she is dealing with.

"The goal of counselling is to offer solace. It should be done in a safe, non-judgmental and non-critical environment. Most importantly, counsellors need to maintain confidentiality. Unfortunately, school counsellors end up sharing information a student has shared with them with other teachers. It breaks the student's trust. The approach of teachers towards the child also changes. It happens because often a school teacher does counselling," added Bai, who has more than 25 years of experience as an academician.

Experts say a professional counsellor's job is to provide counselling (only) and she/he should not be seeing the child in any other capacity. "The management of schools should ensure that professional help is available on the campuses. But again, counselling should not be treated like punishment. The teachers should avoid sending students to the counsellor's room when they don't adhere to the rules and regulations," said Vasudev Sharma, executive director of Child Rights Trust.

"In India, schools have failed to understand the vital role a counsellor can play in students' well-being. Some have counsellors just for the namesake. Others are doing a good job. Many are just an extension of school teachers. They give more advice and reprimand children. They hardly listen," said a clinical psychologist from Kolkata who did not wish to be named. She added that there is a growing awareness about mental health issues faced by adolescents. "But there is little action to address the difficulties."

Time to address mental health issues

As India is witnessing a rise in suicide among children, it has become pertinent to address students' mental health concerns. According to the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) data, out of 164,033 suicide cases reported in the country in 2021, seven per cent are those who are less than 18 years old. Thirty-four per cent are in the age group of 18-30 (again when a sizeable number of them are pursuing their education). In 2022, out of 170,924 deaths due to suicide, six per cent are below 18 years old and 35 per cent are in the age group of 18-30.

In 2022, the union education ministry suggested schools constitute a mental health advisory panel, design a mental health programme and annual plan, sensitise stakeholders, and train teachers for early identification and intervention of mental health problems in children.

The recommendations were issued following the first-ever mental health and well-being survey conducted by the ministry among 3.7 lakh schoolchildren. Several school boards like the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) actively promote students' mental health and well-being.

The National Education Policy 2020 of India stated that it recognises the importance of students' mental health in their overall well-being and development. It emphasises the need for a holistic approach to education that includes attention to mental health.

Experts say recommendations and guidelines issued by the government or school bodies won't help much if these are "half-hearted steps". "We need to fight against the stigma attached to mental health issues in society. Schools are the best places to do so and create awareness across society. But half-hearted measures won't work. It is time to implement all the government rules and regulations to provide better and safer spaces for children in rural and urban schools," said Delhi-based academician Prabha Devi.