Post pandemic has been a difficult period for many around the globe. The new normal has been especially difficult for students as several missed out on their personality developing years to online classes, while others suffered personal losses during the Covid pandemic and might be struggling to reel out of it. In a 2022 survey by Student Minds - UK's student mental health charity - 57 per cent of respondents self-reported a mental health issue and 27 per cent said they had a diagnosed mental health condition. With this in mind, educational institutes around the world introduced changes or new initiatives to help students who might be struggling, but unable to seek help. Some of these initiatives are: IIT Madras After Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras witnessed four deaths in 2023, it decided to start counselling parents and assessing mental health of students during the admission process. “Last year, the National Health Authority did a comprehensive mental wellness screening programme. A similar one will be conducted every year including for the newly admitted students," said Professor Sathyanarayana N Gummadi, dean (students), IIT Madras. In addition to this, an anonymous suggestion box has also been installed at the administration office of IIT Madras where students can lodge their grievances directly to the director of the institute. IIT Madras has also started a wellness session series for its students which was conducted earlier this year with the support of the National Health Mission, Department of Health and Family Welfare and Tamil Nadu government. University of Surrey The University of Surrey helps students bust their stress by bringing puppies into the university twice a year at exam time. Just like Surrey, some other universities across the UK such as Canterbury Christ Church, University of Lincoln and more also adopt this quick and entertaining initiative to help their students by giving them a day full of furry cuddles. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) ICAI has formed a dedicated group headed by Seema Gerotra, additional director on Work-Life Balance and Stress Management to introduce measures aimed at improving work life balance and managing stress within the profession. In addition to this, ICAI has also organised numerous health and wellness programmes, including health awareness camps, webinars on stress management, yoga sessions, motivational conferences, walkathons, marathons, all aimed at promoting mental and physical wellness. Additionally, ICAI, in collaboration with health institutions, will introduce stress management programmes, including counselling services and mental health support for members and students. ICAI will also will work with industry partners to promote flexible work models such as remote working, flexible hours, and wellness programmes, helping member. The institute has also introduced a counselling help desk within its National Call Centre (9997599975) dedicated to assisting members with stress management and work-life balance concerns. University of Abertay The University of Abertay offers a free online course called the Abertay College Transition Programme (ACT) to help students ease into university life, before they begin their university experience. This was introduced keeping in mind that several new students can have anxiety about being in a new environment, without any familiar faces. In ACT, several topics will be covered such as preparing for online study (if needed), building digital skills, understanding assignment brief, researching and sourcing information, citing and referencing, writing skills and more. Applicants will also be able to meet other students and make friends. IIT Bombay IIT Bombay has partnered with external counselors to provide students with additional options beyond the existing Student Wellness Centre (SWC) on campus. The institute will cover the costs of these external counseling sessions, offering students “greater flexibility and access to care.” Additionally, in a recent to IIT Bombay on World Mental Health Day on Thursday, Vice Admiral Dr Vivek Murthy US Surgeon General, talked about “re-engineering” the ways of using social media which causes competition among users. “We can also start to change the culture on campuses when it comes to pressure that so many young students are facing, whether about their performance in class, or the job they are going to secure after. We want young people to dream big and succeed but not at the expense of their mental health.” IIT Delhi The Delhi-based institute has revamped its evaluation system and dropped a set of mid-semester exams to reduce students’ stress, the institute director Rangan Banerjee had announced. “Earlier we used to have two sets of exams during a semester, final exams at the end of each semester and several continuous evaluation mechanisms. We conducted an internal survey and based on feedback from all students and faculty, we have decided to drop one set of exams. So, now there will be two sets of exams besides routine evaluations,” Banerjee had said. This decision was taken after some experts opined that students' academic calendar was very tightly packed which was causing more burden and stress for students. IIT Guwahati After the third student suicide on its campus this year, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) implemented several initiatives to support students’ mental well-being which includes dedicated counselling services at the hostel level and medical check-ups. Additionally, IIT Guwahati is now also introducing comprehensive medical checkups. The institute is introducing a mandatory one-time medical checkup at the time of admission. This will enable the institute to provide tailored support and ensure students receive the necessary care, IIT Guwahati stated. A self-sustainable task force has been established to reach out to every student and provide the necessary support.
