Tamil Nadu’s mental health policy for educational institutions spells out preventive measures

The Tamil Nadu government issued a mental health policy for educational institutions earlier this month. Among others, it provides for identification and gatekeeping, governance and systematic integration, mental health and counselling services, data-driven action, a framework table for suicide prevention among students, and implementation framework and action plan.

The framework table for suicide prevention specifies the role of teachers, counselling services, and peer support. It also lists measures for capacity-building and awareness, early identification and support and integration with the education system in each of these categories. It also spells out interventions at the State, district, school/college, community, and monitoring body levels.

The policy specifies a three-tier system for students who show signs of distress. While the first tier is supporting teams — such as school/college counsellors and youth counselling centres — that are aimed at guiding students towards self-potential and initiating peer guidance.

In the second tier, youth clubs will sensitise students to the need for seeking mental health support through helplines 14416, 14417, 104, 1098, and 181. The third tier is the nearby government and private hospitals with mental health professionals/counsellors.

Following an order of the Supreme Court, the government constituted a committee for adopting and implementing a uniform policy pertaining to mental health issues at the educational institutions. The committee was headed by Joint Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Department S. Vineeth and comprised representatives of the Health and Family Welfare, School Education, Higher Education, Law, and Home Departments, besides specialists and NGOs specialising in mental health.

The committee submitted its report to the government last month. On March 6, the government issued a government order setting forth the policy.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)