At Pune’s B J Govt Medical College, at least 3 to 4 students daily seek help at counselling cell

Dr Nishikant Thorat, associate professor of Psychiatry, BJGMC and Sassoon General Hospital , said approximately 50 counselling sessions have been conducted for students. “The second-year MBBS student was undergoing treatment for a psychiatric ailment. Previously too, she had taken treatment from a private hospital. She had started coming regularly for treatment with us and had undergone a counselling session on July 30 where she was advised deep breathing exercises,” Dr Thorat recalled.

Students from undergraduate, post-graduate and even nursing section visit the special counselling cell for a variety of issues. “It could be related to challenges in adjusting to the routine, inter-personal issues with colleagues and in some cases there is a past history of psychiatric ailment,” Dr Thorat added.

As part of the Chhatramanas scheme, the cell has two counsellors apppointed by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, who along with state level committees, chalks out plans with an aim to strengthen the mental health of students. The Supreme Court of India too, in a recent judgment issued in March this year, issued significant directions concerning the prevention of student suicides in higher education institutions.

Speaking of the student’s suicide, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean of B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, said it was a very unfortunate incident. “She was a very bright student and academically talented. She had some personal issues and for the last six months was on treatment and had taken counselling sessions,” he said.

Mansamwad helpline at MUHS

When contacted, Lt General (retd) Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik told The Indian Express that last year itself, they had had launched the ‘Mansamwad helpline—8485092350′ .

“Students of affiliated colleges of the university have been encouraged to connect with the psychologist and counsellors. Moreover, at every Vice-Chancellor katta programme, I begin the talk with a strong appeal on understanding how to identify and reduce stress,” said Kanitkar.

Dr Devendra Patil, director of the Department of Student Welfare at MUHS, also observed that mental health challenges that students face are a serious issue. The dedicated helpline receives calls, following which counselling sessions are also undertaken.

According to Mansi Hire, clinical psychologist at MUHS, counselling sessions have been held for at least 40-50 students in the last 6-7 months.

“Students often feel stressed about exams, assignments or adjusting to a new environment. Stress makes them feel tired, angry and they are unable to focus. There is immense pressure to excel in competitive examinations and can lead to anxiety and a fear of failure without a clear reason. Then there are relationship issues, concerns about the future and social life. Busy schedules also affect sleep and many students stay up late studying or scrolling on their phones. This poor quality of sleep leads to fatigue. There are some students who feel they are not good enough as compared to others and hence leads to low confidence levels,” Hire explained while observing that poor time management skills, communication skills, lack of attention and concentration and negative thinking are among the problems that students grapple with.