26-Nov-2012
Suicides, and mental distress and illness that often lead to them, have been a
bane across different population segments in India. While every life thus lost
is a cause for concern, the sense of untimely tragedy is compounded when bright
young students resort to the extreme step. Today, educational institutions are
increasingly marked by competitive pressures and financial and other demands
that put a burden which some students are just not able to bear. The decision
of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to deploy a Task Force to look
into cases of suicide in Central-funded higher technical institutions was
well-founded in the context of 12 such incidents over 2010- 2011. The panel has
now made its recommendations, essentially on predictable lines. These include a
dedicated system of counselling involving faculty members, students, parents
and mental health professionals to cater to the needs of students; a visible
entity for the service with parity in the institution’s organisational
structure, and a proactive and enabling environment for students with
psychological needs. The panel has rightly sought better awareness and
sensitivity towards issues of social justice including gender, class and caste.
However, this exercise needs to be scaled up to cover the entire spectrum of
educational institutions in the country in order to address the underlying
issues in a more meaningful and egalitarian manner. According to data for 2011,
the number of suicidal deaths country-wide among students was 7,696. In 2010
the total was 7,379. The figures have consistently risen over recent years.
According to one study published by Lancet, suicides have become the second
leading cause of death among young adults in India, after road accidents for
men and maternity-related complications for women. That study also indicated
that in India, suicides have become more common among educated and young adults
— in contrast to patterns observed in many developed societies. We need to
pause and reflect: what is happening to our young people? An all-out effort
should be launched to reach out to youths in distress, enabling close
cooperation and collaboration between counselling services and the health
services. As a part of this exercise, India should find ways to address its
shortage of mental health professionals. Counselling processes should assist
students who have social, academic, linguistic, financial, physical and other
difficulties. More preventive and promotional mental wellness activities, as
also sensitisation and awareness programmes, need to be put in place.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/no-time-to-die/article4133761.ece
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