Mental health programme for students in Malappuram - KOZHIKHODE

Following reports from schools across the district that mental health issues have been seriously affecting the academic standard of students, the district panchayat, in association with the education department and district health administration is all set to launch a mental health programme for school students here.

With the government turning a deaf ear to demands regarding the service of at least one psychologist in each high school or higher secondary school, most schools are forced to depend on amateur psychoanalysts for counselling programmes. Many schools have been carrying out counselling programmes in association with the local bodies and local counseling agencies, though it has been pointed out that the service of untrained psychologists could adversely affect adolescents.

The new programme will see psychological counselors appointed in all aided and unaided schools in the district. A joint meeting of the health department and education department officials on Saturday decided to launch the mental health programme in schools on October 10.

One teacher from each school will be trained by noted psychologists and appointed as psychological trainers in the school.

The district panchayat president Zuhara Mambad said the programme has been initiated in the wake of reports from various schools indicating that the students are unable to overcome mental strain which affects their academic performance.

"Earlier we had found that the academic standard of the students were very low in the district. We then launched several initiatives for better results, yet the issues remained unresolved," she said.

The lack of services of professional psychologists in schools has been severely affecting adolescents. We expect the availability of trainers will resolve the issue to a large extent, she said.


Source : TOI , 7th October 2013