India
Government prepares new strategy for higher education institutions to improve students’ mental health | India News – Times of India
In a joint effort, over 200 institutions, including leading IITs, IIMs, NITs and Central and State Universities, 350 students and faculty, are involved in discussions to strengthen mental health support mechanisms.
The government has outlined a four-pronged strategy, which includes capacity building and visits to model institutions. A National Welfare Conclave currently underway at IIT Hyderabad will provide a structured framework for psychosocial support among students in higher education.
The program’s holistic approach focuses on both immediate needs and preventive measures for long-term mental health improvement. The goal is to help students in need while creating an environment that encourages healthy behavior and prevents the onset of mental disorders.
For the first time, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman included mental health in the Economic Survey 2023-24, which was presented in Parliament on July 22, 2024. Recognizing that mental health is a key driver of national development, the survey cited findings from the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16, which shows that 10.6% of Indian adults suffer from mental disorders, with a significant treatment gap from 70-92%. Mental health problems are particularly prevalent in urban metro areas, affecting 13.5% of the population, compared to 6.9% in rural areas and 4.3% in urban non-metro regional areas. Moreover, an NCERT survey reported a deterioration in mental health among adolescents, a trend exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In line with these findings, Sunday’s conclave will bring together educators, students, mental health experts and policy makers. Themed ‘Integrated approach to promoting mental health, resilience and wellbeing’, the event aims to address the urgent need for mental health support in higher education, considering the overall mental health awareness and management of serious mental illness, and institutions are helped to implement a structured, multidisciplinary approach. -layered support system.
Accompanied by National Education policy (NEP) 2020, the Ministry of Education has initiated a framework for higher education that focuses on physical and mental health. Ahead of the conclave, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told TOI, “This framework encourages institutions to create environments conducive to the social, emotional and academic growth of students. Several higher education institutions, including IIT Madras with its KUSHAL program, have introduced wellness initiatives including surveys, grievance redressal, counseling and peer support networks. Other institutions, such as IIIT Allahabad, have integrated AI-driven mental health monitoring, while others are engaging families to support students. well-being.”
