WHY INDIA NEEDS COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES

School mental health programmes play a crucial role in promoting mental well-being, preventing mental illnesses and reducing stigma.

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Such programmes can potentially transform mental health outcomes for students and communities across India

India finds itself at a critical juncture concerning mental health, with the most recent surveys and studies painting a stark picture.

The National Mental Health Survey 2015-2016, though about a decade old, revealed alarming statistics: approximately 10.6% of the population has grappled with mental health issues at some point, with 13.7% currently affected as of then.

Scope of the issue

A study published in a journal, Scientific Reports (2022) on mental health status in students revealed that 27% of children and adolescents experienced depression, 26% had anxiety disorders, 7% exhibited hyperactivity, and 9%, 19%, and 15% experienced emotional, conduct, and peer problems, respectively. Moreover, the student suicide rate reported in this study is 9%, which surpasses the rate reported by the National Crime Record Bureau (2022), standing at 7.6%. There has been a staggering 32% increase in student suicides from 2017 to 2022.

Depression and suicides are not the only mental health issues of rising concern in the country: a study published in General Psychiatry (2021) found that internet addiction among students in 19 states of India ranges from 19.9% to 40.7%. This high prevalence highlights the growing issue of internet dependency among young people in the country. Further, recent clinical and community-level observations underscore the rising tide of behavioural addictions among Indian youth, most prominently related to excessive use of social media, video games, online pornography, and mobile phones.