Odisha Initiates Mental Health Support Centres in Colleges and Universities for Student Well-Being, ETEducation

Bhubaneswar: As academic pressure, career uncertainty continue to take a toll on college youth, government has asked universities and colleges to put in place a structured support system to identify signs of mental distress early and ensure timely counselling and professional help to students.Higher Education Department has asked all state public and private universities under its jurisdiction to implement the state’s operational guidelines on mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults among students, faculty members, non-teaching staff and hostel wardens.The guidelines, issued by the health and family welfare department, have a separate section covering young adults aged 18 years and above. They seek to move mental health support beyond occasional awareness programmes by putting in place a system for identifying students in distress, providing initial support and referring them to qualified professionals whenever necessary.One of the key provisions is the establishment of a functional mental health and well-being centre in every higher education institution. The centre will coordinate counselling, referrals, awareness programmes and support for students facing psychological di fficulties.Institutions are also required to designate a senior faculty member as a mental health nodal officer and constitute a monitoring committee headed by the head of the institution to oversee implementation.Under the guidelines, officials of the higher education department said, “from students to faculty members, everyone will be assigned a role in identifying students showing signs of distress and needing help. Hostel wardens and residential staff have also been assigned a role in monitoring students, particularly those living away from their families.”