“The Importance of Mental Health for Students”

13-year-old Aarav was always labelled as a ‘shy’ child. But the day he attempted suicide instantly revealed some alarming realities. He was depressed, and this state of mind gradually took a toll on his overall mental health.

This incident shocked the family. And also gave a message to all stakeholders LOUD AND CLEAR!

Teen mental health crisis (issues) is a REAL THING.

And it is much more than just feeling blue at times. 

While the role of stakeholders is crucial in handling these issues!

The reality is quite disheartening. Many of us take these problems lightly. And also lack the right knowledge to identify or deal with these issues. 

Join hands with us as we take up the importance of mental health to create awareness and help you gauge the need for an early intervention.

Let’s get started with this ACTION GUIDE right away.

What is Mental Health?

To dig deeper into the issue, we must understand mental health why is it important for an individual. Experts include our social, emotional, and psychological well-being under the broad term ‘mental health and well-being’. For any individual, it determines the ability to make healthy choices, along with the capacity to handle everyday stress.

Is India Any Better?

Unfortunately, NOT!

Some findings reveal:

13% of the Indian students grapple with emotional and behavioral conditions. While 51% had issues like anxiety, almost 5% were diagnosed with clinical depression.

The worst of all is our attitude towards mental health issues. Only 41% of the survey respondents felt the need to seek support while dealing with these challenges.

It’s time to get back to the main issue, why is mental health important, and what are the causes that lead to mental health issues in students?

Why Do Students Suffer from Poor Mental Health?

It is essential to learn about mental health and students and look for reasons behind a particular issue. In students, the below-mentioned factors can lead to student mental health challenges:

• Traumatic experiences
• Inadequate family support
• Brain-related damage
• Isolation
• General/academic stress (parental expectations/peer pressure, etc.)
• Genetic/Family history of mental health issues
• Excessive use of the internet
• Certain medical conditions
• Use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, etc.

What is the Importance of Mental Health for Students?

Mental health for students goes hand in hand with many other aspects of life. It can lead to struggles related to decision-making. In extreme cases, these problems can be aggravated through tendencies like self-harm, unprotected sexual behaviors, violence, suicide attempts, etc.

USE SEL – A Protective Factor Against These Risks

Social and emotional learning builds a safe environment that in turn fosters a sense of safety around an individual. Include the elements of SEL in the regular curriculum through activities, games, virtual resources, and hands-on learning. This will be your no-fail strategy to improve mental health and students will simultaneously learn to manage their emotions through self-awareness and regulation techniques.

Learn in detail about the ways of contributing to the social and emotional development of your child through this interesting article.

Final Words

Today, there is an urgent need to acknowledge the importance of mental health and delink the fear of stigma from these issues. Teach your kids/students the importance of managing mental health for holistic living.

And take a pledge to eliminate these threats before they take a toll on the well-being of your students.

We conclude this article by going back to a simple message:

Life is a package, and we must learn to embrace both its positives and negatives.

So keep promoting student mental health and play your role in saving lives, THIS WAY WE BUILD A PROMISING FUTURE!

Thanks for Reading!

The Importance of Mental Health for Students: Why Should We Prioritize It?