BHUBANESWAR: Teachers in educational institutions should foster a culture of conversation with students to prevent the rising incidents of suicide among youngsters, said experts on Monday.
They were having a discussion on the matter during a workshop at BJB Autonomous College by Manam Foundation in collaboration with the psychology department. The objective was to empower teachers to act as first responders and extend support if any student is in distress.
“To identify students in distress, it is pivotal for the teachers to build an ecosystem where they foster a culture of conversation with them,” advisor of Support, Advocacy and Mental Health Interventions for Children in Vulnerable Circumstances and Distress (SAMVAD), NIMHANS, Dr Shekhar Seshadri told The New Indian Express.
He said conversations with teachers can enhance the comfort level among students. “The teachers can also recognise various critical indicators of distress among the youngsters like family, relationship, self-esteem, performance and failed aspirational issues,” he said.
He advised the teachers to not trivialise an issue raised by any student as it can further complicate their mental health problems and even lead to suicidal thoughts. He also asked the parents to not put pressure on their children over high academic expectations. Describing the current mental health of the youth as a ticking time-bomb, Dr Seshadri said it can lead to stress, negative thinking and anger issues among them.
Manam founder and director, Anuradha Mahapatra said young students are a part of the vulnerable group who may develop depression due to various critical factors. “If any student is facing long-standing and traumatic mental health issues then the teachers should immediately refer them to a specialised agency,” she added.
Over 50 teachers and counsellors of various government/private colleges and officials of OSEPA attended the workshop.
Notably, a total of 72 student suicide cases have been reported in government and private schools and colleges across Odisha from 2020 to February 2025, as informed by CM Mohan Charan Majhi in the Assembly earlier this month. In the last four months, at least five incidents of students ending their lives were reported in the capital city.