BENGALURU: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Departments of Health and Education in the state, is set to take forward an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiative to enhance mental wellbeing and reduce suicide risks in Bengaluru’s educational institutions.
The three-year project, part of a multistate study by ICMR, aims to develop evidence-based, scalable and sustainable models. A preliminary consultative meeting is scheduled with Health and Education department officials, mental health experts, and NGO representatives, to refine the action plan and discuss potential implementation challenges and facilitators at Arogya Soudha on June 5.
According to a 2021 UNICEF report, approximately 20% of young people aged 15 to 24 in 21 countries expressed feelings of depression or disinterest in activities. The National Mental Health Survey of India 2015–2016 revealed that 7.3% of adolescents and 10.6% of young adults faced diagnosable mental health issues, with urban areas showing twice the prevalence.
Therefore, the primary focus is to collect expert perspectives to enhance the action plan and discuss potential challenges and facilitators for implementing such initiatives on campuses at educational institutions.
Dr Seema Mehrotra, Principal Investigator and Professor of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, emphasised that a multidisciplinary team comprising experts from various departments at NIMHANS and the E-Health Research Centre at IIIT-B will collaborate closely with the Karnataka government to implement the initiative.