look news india
Education on mental health is either not given in schools or is given very little importance. The result is that students remain unaware of their mental problems.
The main focus of the Indian education system is still on academic performance, with the holistic development of students often being ignored. Education on mental health is either not given in schools or is given very little importance. The result is that students remain unaware of their mental problems and ignoring them often leads to serious mental problems.
Senior psychologist and mental health activist Dr. Arvind Otta said that recent studies have shown that anxiety, depression and even suicidal tendencies are increasing rapidly among students. In such a situation, providing mental health education in schools has become the need of the hour.
The need for mental health education
For early intervention: School is a good place to identify mental health problems at an early stage. If children are taught about mental health from an early age, then any problem can be treated in time.
Ability to deal with adversity: Mental health education improves students' coping skills, enabling them to handle stress better and remain mentally strong when facing failure.
Reducing Stigma: There is still a stigma towards mental health in Indian society. When it is included in school education, students understand mental health as a part of normal life and can seek help without fear.
Better academic performance: Mental health is directly related to students' cognitive functions and learning ability. A healthy mindset improves students' attention, memory and reasoning abilities, leading to better academic performance.
Improves social relationships: Mental health education makes students self-aware and empathetic, helping them build better relationships with their friends, teachers, and family.
Challenges in mental health education
Traditional society hesitates to talk about mental health and considers it a sensitive issue.
There is a shortage of trained counselors, especially in rural areas.
There are fears that adding mental health will add more stress to an already busy curriculum.
Solutions for Mental Health Education
Integrating mental health education into the curriculum, training teachers, setting up counseling services, creating a safe and supportive environment and ensuring parental involvement can make it successful. Mental health education will help in bringing awareness about this topic in the society and help the students to develop a healthy mindset. Apart from this, more work can be done on this issue in collaboration with non-profit organizations and mental health institutions.