Health Dept. offers counselling services to over 92,000 students
Over the last few weeks, the State's Health Department reached out to over 92,000 students, who did not pass the Class XII and X Board examinations, to provide counselling services. Of them, closer attention was paid to 700-odd students, who were identified as 'high-risk' during the process.
In the past few years, the department has been extending counselling services to those who did not pass the board examinations through TeleMANAS call centre (14416) and State health helpline (104). According to its policy note 2025-2026, it provided stress management counselling services to 79,312 students who appeared for the board examinations, followed by referral and follow-up care for those requiring continued care in 2024.
According to official data, this year, calls were made to 39,241 students who had appeared for the Class 12 board examinations. Of them, 297 were identified as high-risk and followed up. Follow-up calls were made to 75 students. A total of six students were referred to the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) for further care.
Similarly, calls were made to 53,722 students who had appeared for the Class 10 board examinations. Out of this, 447 students were identified as high-risk. As many as 70 follow-up calls were made, and the DMHP team was roped in to provide assistance for four students.
V. Venkatesh Mathan Kumar, psychiatrist, Institute of Mental Health, said taking support to students at such a point in time would help in more ways than one. 'We tell them that this is not a failure but a setback... When counsellors identify students as high-risk based on symptoms such as crying spells, sleeplessness, anger or facing frustrated parents, they escalate them to the clinical psychologists, who in turn, analyse if the students require counselling or immediate help. They counsel them on coping mechanisms. If not satisfactorily addressed, the DMHP is roped in,' he said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State's health helpline 104, TeleMANAS 14416 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline - 044-24640050)
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