Mental Health Support in today’s times has not just become important but relevant where students live in a world of so-called affirmations as such –
“I am thrilled to announce that I have won…”
“I am excited to start my work at…”
“Happy to share that my article got published… ”
Yes, yes. The entire world revels in their achievement while you sit in your room, liking their posts, wondering where it is that you lost your magic. On top of that, the constant pressure to be at the top of your game is not just overwhelming but gnawing.
In scenarios like these, one finds it difficult to shake the idea, “I am not doing enough.”
One finds themselves sitting at a table with their soul hanging by their thread on a fan above. That said, this is a reality not just for one or two students, but countless students across India.
Mental Health Support and the Hidden Struggles of Students
The constant sense of “not being good enough” lands students in a predicament that they do not know how to get out of. And the result? You are not to talk about them! Mental health problems among college students are at an all time rise in India. Studies exhibit moderate to high levels of anxiety (69.9 %), depression (59.9 %), loss of behavioral/emotional control (65.1 %), and distress (70.3 %) among college students in Tier 1 cities in the country.
In this age of social media, it is easier for students to get easily deluded and find themselves completely lost and dejected. It is not a story of just one or two students, but many of them who find it difficult to express themselves and suffocate internally. The thread about to snap anytime.
Mental Health and Institutional Support System
Students across all fields find themselves in the competitive rat race sooner or later and it is in situations like these that mental health support comes into picture. Mental health support, in today’s times, has become the need of the hour. It provides students with a kind of stability that not only pacifies the mind but stirs it to be patient.
There has been a sharp rise in mental health awareness especially in this face of intense competition among students. Recognising this, colleges today provide students with free counselling sessions, a significant step taken towards prioritizing mental health.
Through a variety of programs, such as peer support, on-campus counseling, orientation programs, and curriculum modifications, institutions are placing a greater emphasis on the mental health of their students. These initiatives seek to guarantee an early intervention, and de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Besides this, universities also support and prioritize mental health interventions. For example, the University of Delhi has taken the initiative of a counselling program: ‘Manstah’ that aims to provide support to students who need it.
The main idea behind this is to enable the students to ‘declutter’ their mind and to get them to talk – a simple initiative that enables the counsellor to understand the underlying issues and seek remedy accordingly.
You can also check out quick ways to reduce burnout here
Government and NGO Collaborations
Besides this, steps like launching of the Tele-MANAS Mobile Application to support a range of mental health issues have also provided impetus in this direction to address peer pressure and family expectations. Colleges are also collaborating with various NGOs to organize campaigns on mental health issues and raise awareness.
The only way to address these concerns is to understand the pressure outweighed on students and get them to talk. We can prevent the thread from snapping by addressing students with care and understanding, by observing their psychology. After all, you know how they say each child is special? It is not so much different for students either.
Because a student is like a flower who is going to bloom in their own good time. All that is needed is passion, perseverance and patience.
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