School Mental Health Program

According to the global burden of disease study, mental health disorders are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. As per the World Health Organisation, more than 50% pf psychiatric illnesses start before the age of 15 years. Furthermore, suicide, a second leading cause of death among 15-29 year age group. So it's a prime important to target this vulnerable age group to aware of mental health and substance use disorders as well as the need for sensitization about suicide. By including the teachers in this campaign, they can play a role of the primary mental health care provider.

This is our ongoing program which we had started in 2016. In this, we organise a seminar at school in which we taught the students about what is mental health and why it is important to all of us. We taught them about common sign, symptoms and treatment of mental health issues or disorders and the role of stress on mental health issues. We sensitise them about suicide and how it can be prevented. We make them aware of harm associated with addiction (Substance Use Disorders) and what are the risk factors of initiation of drug or substance use. At the end of the seminar, we taught them about how to handle or cope up the stress, importance of the healthy lifestyle, whom they will talk in the case of mental health crisis and what treatment options are available in the form of counselling and medicines. At the end of the session, we had an open question-answer session in which student can clarify their issues or doubt. Finally but not least, we provide counselling and treatment to those students to whom we have found mental health issues and ensure future treatment plan with teachers and advise them to involve the family member of students.

Till now, we had covered more than 50,000 students and teachers (https://www.mindroot.org/gallery/) of Rajasthan and provide treatment and counselling to needy one. So an average we covered around 15,000 students in a year and this number can be increased with your support. Our team includes a Psychiatrist who delivers the seminar and provides treatment and counselling to needy one. In conclusion, our School Mental Health Program work as primary and secondary prevention model. Where primary prevention is a strategy used before the onset of illness, and secondary prevention is used for early diagnosis and management of illness.