The Higher Education Department has instructed all Government colleges in the State to organise mental check-ups for the students to detect signs of depression or any related issues.
Official sources said that the Higher Education Department these check-ups will offer a quick and reliable way to identify students who may be struggling with common mental health issues and will allow the college authorities and teachers to offer support and help to the struggling students.
The aim of these check-up camps is to create campuses free of depression where every college going student can continue his/her studies hopeful of their bright future, feeling secured and cared for.
As per the notification of the Higher Education Department, regular mental check up of the students must be conducted from the next academic session onwards under the supervision of a Mental Health Professional. The department has already made provisions to appoint psychologists, holding Post-graduate and Doctoral degrees in psychology as Mental Health Professionals.
These professionals will check the students 2 or 3 times every week to make sure that the students are learning in a tension free state of mind. The examiner will inform the professor in charge, who will be the Head of the Department of Psychology about the state of mind of the students. If any college has no psychology department, a suitable professor will be appointed as the professor in charge.
The examiners and the professors in charge are also directed to submit a monthly report to the college principal. The directive clearly states that all reports must be strictly confidential and no details of it must be shared with anyone other than the concerned student.