'ManasaMitra' mental health initiative to be rolled out in Pattambi

IN A significant step towards strengthening mental health support in schools, a pioneering programme titled ManasaMitra is set to be launched across 11 government and aided schools in the Pattambi Legislative Assembly constituency in the upcoming academic year.

- SHYAM P V @Palakkad

The initiative, spearheaded by Pattambi MLA Muhammed Muhassin, is poised to become a model for school-based mental health interventions in Kerala.

A total of 16,200 students, 625 teachers and over 13,000 parents will be part of the programme spanning an academic year.

"We conducted a youth summit last year where 69% of participants came forward by themselves and requested for mental health interventions, which underscored the critical necessity of this initiative," the MLA told TNIE.

At its core, ManasaMitra aims to equip teachers with specialised skills to detect and address psychological distress among students.

Teachers, often the first responders in the emotional lives of their students, will receive training grounded in evidence-based practices, encompassing suicide prevention, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and stress management.