The Delhi government ordered the government schools to perform mental health examinations on the students to ensure their well-being by implementing comprehensive counseling services, an official statement stated.
According to the official statement by the office of the education minister Atishi, the Directorate of Education (DoE) has been instructed to draft a blueprint for the initiative following the success of a pilot phase that provided counseling to over 20,000 students across 20 schools.
Atishi directed the DoE to prepare a blueprint for expanding counseling services to all government schools here, ensuring timely support for the student's mental health needs, it said.
She said that the pilot phase ran for a year in which the Educational and Vocational Guidance Counselors (EVGC) and school psychologists worked with the students to maintain their mental health, said the statement.
Atishi mentioned that group sessions and social-emotional learning programs helped the students manage stress and stay emotionally healthy, it stated.
The statement said that she also met with the school psychologists and EVGC counselors to discuss their experiences and gather feedback in a session.
Emphasising the importance of mental health, the minister said, "A healthy mind is essential for overall well-being. Through this initiative, we aim to provide better health services to school students, contributing to a healthy society and nation.
"During the session, the school psychologists shared insights with the minister on how early intervention can address mental health issues and reconnect students with their studies, the statement stated.
"From a young age, children are under stress for various reasons, which can harm their mental health. Unfortunately, there isn't enough awareness about mental health, leading to issues being untreated," the psychologists said.
"However, we are identifying these problems in children through teachers and counseling and working to address them," they added.
(Inputs from PTI)
