Educational Institutes and Mental Health

I miss going to college. It has been some 6 odd months since I last set foot in the classroom and had a hearty chat with friends. One of the reasons I hate COVID-19 is because it took away a source of happiness from you. I should be with my friends now, going out with them to explore the city, have dinner over some lame jokes and heartfelt conversations. But, here I am, being just a couch potato. 

One reason I loved college is that it made me happy. College was a fun place to be. Yes, it was tiring, but it was super fun too. However, not every student would share the same feelings. A lot of young people suffer from mental health issues, and one important reason for this is the stress they might be subjected to at school and college. Thus, I believe educational institutions have a great responsibility to care about their students' mental wellbeing. 

One of the things educational institutions can do to address the mental health needs of the students is to appoint counsellors, who would be skilled at their job and would listen without judgements. Unfortunately, many schools and colleges don't have dedicated counsellors, and even if they do, many of them might be incompetent. A mental health professional who is bad at their job is as bad as not having any mental health professional.

Institutes can also arrange for mental health drives during which students will be equipped with awareness regarding mental health matters and be empowered by training them in ways in which they can improve their wellbeing. Teachers and professors also can be trained to identify the signs of declining mental health among students. 

Only through a collaborative approach can the students be helped.