Student life is a tough phase to be in; it’s very crucial in order to learn about different aspects of life. But this is also the time in which students face a lot of competition and pressure to fulfill various expectations put forth to them by their parents, school and the society. This is also the period of mental growth and thought development which is very sensitive and gets influenced quite easily; thus the peer plays an important role. A child’s brain is very sensitive and susceptible towards the environment around it and could get affected to various degrees.
Mind is just like any other organ of the body. It needs to be taken care of and it could get affected too. Depression is one such mental illness which is quite common in as well as derogatory for students. Depression could be defined as sudden or gradual loss of interest in the world around which accompanies a feeling of sadness, loneliness, self-disguise and may lead to apathy, anorexia and self- destructive tendencies.
Although it’s a real, diagnostic, MEDICAL condition; it’s not usually taken into account and talked about freely as any other problems. It’s mainly because of the social stigma related to mental problems and less or no knowledge about the issue.This kind of attitude makes it even more difficult for students to seek help and thus they become more vulnerable and depressed.
The “not so common” topic of discussion at our schools and homes is actually a quite common part of our lives. Depression is more common than we think and most of the times it’s concealed and severe.
Data from multiple studies point that mental health-related problem is a serious issue. The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 conducted by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), reported mental morbidity of 10.6% among those who are aged 18 and above. The rate was lower, 7.5%, among the youth (18 – 29 years).
A World Health Organization report released in 2017 estimated that more than 56 million individuals in the country face depressive disorders currently.
A recent study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry based on a survey of more than 700 randomly selected students found that almost half of them (53%) were suffering from either moderate or severe form of depression.
These scientific data are pretty much enough to guess the number of young lives getting affected by this mental illness. And at the age of innovative learning young minds getting trapped into the blockade of a mental depression is very scary. But what makes the situation even worse is the fact that they have no one they can count on to talk to about this problem.
The lack of guidance during these hard times can make children take wrong decisions and end up ruining their careers, and even life. Children suffering from depression are more likely to adapt bad habits like drinking,smoking, drugs etc.
In cases of severe depression a child might even take drastic measures like SUICIDE.
Infact, according to statistics, 30% of students commit suicide due to failure in exams. Indian students are very depressed and suicidal; in fact regarding this concern the Prime minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi addressed students during his radio address “mann ki baat”. He urged students to talk about their feelings and not feel stressed and asked parents and schools to encourage such discussion. This concern about students and their mental state is need of the hour if we want to prevent the youth from getting depressed and loosing themselves in the chaos.
The school and parents have the responsibility to shape the future of a child and make them ready for challenges in coming future. But in this process we are kind of ignoring the importance of a child’s mental state and putting too much pressure on him for success. In the battle against depression a child needs the assistance and support of his parents and teachers. But the complete denial of the fact that child could have a mental illness and the attitude of ignorance towards it make it almost impossible for the child to seek professional help and come out of it.
The remedy lies in raising awareness about mental health in schools and colleges, said experts. “Mental health and wellness should be added to school curriculum. Only when children know about these disorders in their formative years will they be able to seek help,” said Satyakant Trivedi, a psychiatrist, in India.
The most important part of treating a disease is diagnosing it; and in case of depression, COMMUNICATION is the key. Asking the child about how he feels and listening to him is very important. Open discussions in schools and spreading awareness about mental illness will change the scenario. We need to befriend the students and make it comfortable for them to open up about their feelings. And all the schools and collages should have counselors to provide professional assistance and guidance to students to come out of this problem and become successful and stay healthy and happy.
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