Mental health challenges among students deserve immediate attention
Even though it is difficult to fully quantify the impact of the pandemic on our mental health, several studies have documented an increase in depressive and anxiety disorders post the pandemic. Vulnerable populations such as children are particularly prone to these disorders remaining unchecked thereby wreaking havoc. Keeping this in mind, the second episode of the HT Dialogues Season 2 focused on ‘Early detection and intervention of mental health challenges in school students’. Some of the themes discussed included identifying mental health challenges and their symptoms, creating safe environments for students and empowering parents and teachers with the tools for early detection. The panellists included Sandhya Awasthi, director principal, DPS, Greater Noida; Minakshi Kushwaha, principal, Birla Vidya Niketan, Pushp Vihar; and Dr. Puja Grover Kapoor, consultant paediatric neurologist and co-founder-director, CONTINUA kids. The session was moderated by. Roopali Dhawan, Head, HT Education.
Setting the tone for the discussion, Awasthi shared how her school did their own survey before reopening. “In our findings, we saw that about 40% students shared that they were experiencing some kind of stress and about 72% felt a fear of academic backwardness. This showed us that children knew what they had lost,” she explained. She further added while earlier one tended to associate students only with examination stress, the pandemic had created newer forms of anxieties for students. These included but were not limited to the social stress of being confined in small spaces; the trauma of having lost or seeing someone lose their loved ones; not having anybody to speak to about what they were feeling. “Further, they saw their families undergoing economic pressures and loss of jobs. They didn’t want to add to the stress of adults at home and absorbed a lot but when they came to school, they were able to share and we were prepared to deal with it by offering them a safe space,” Awasthi explained. According to Kapoor, giving children the space for acceptance where they have the assurance that they will be heard was crucial. “Children are having eating and anxiety disorders and they are now shunning social contact because they have been deprived of it and are refusing to go to school,” she added. Elaborating on the significant role played by teachers in this, Kushwaha said that while teachers could earlier easily notice the behavorial changes that creep up in a child’s attitude, it had become difficult due to online learning. “Several students kept their cameras off or interacted very rarely with the teachers which made it difficult for the teachers. But we are training them and conducting workshops with counsellors so that they can detect withdrawal, hyperactivity or any other major shift in attitudes. Such cases are then recommended to the counsellor and then the parents are roped in. Often, parents also confirm our observations and that means there is a deeper problem to solve,” she explained. Reiterating the need for parents to be patient with their children, Grover reminded that the pandemic was a new situation for everyone. “Schools are coming and seeking help and we are spending time helping teachers and schools identify sudden changes. For parents, I would like to say please give space and time to your child. Sit and talk and try to understand them. Patience is key and as adults, we are struggling through the varying stages of the pandemic. There is a decrease in peer expression so parents will have to be friends and guardians. The children may not open up and express everything but parents must look at the state of social connections such as talking to friends or lack of it,” she highlighted. Adding to the sentiment, Kushwaha pointed out how parents too were having their share of varying woes. She recounted how a parent recently asked her why their child was being more demanding or how will they cope with carrying a heavy bag to school after so long. Once again, Awasthi pointed out that the way forward was to train teachers with intervention strategies. “We must acknowledge the loss that has happened in this phase and realise that nourishing the inner self is a need for everyone. And this is not a parent vs teacher vs school matter. If there’s a problem, we need all stakeholders to be receptive,” she explained. All the experts were of the opinion that there were certainly some gaps but those needed to be mended mindfully and gradually. There couldn’t be an instant solution and resilience had to be built step-by-step. The schools are pulsating with the presence of the students but the conversation around mental health must not stop.