NIMHANS prof's advice to teachers: watch behavioural changes in kids

A hall full of principals and teachers from 130 schools in the city on Friday learnt, to their amusement, that no one is mentally healthy.

"What proportion of the population is mentally healthy?" Dr Chittaranjan Andrade, professor and head of the Department of Psychopharmacology at NIMHANS, asked the academicians gathered at the annual principals' meet, hosted by DH in association with Navrathan Jewellers.

The answers that came from the audience placed the mentally healthy population between 80% to 20%.

The reality, however, is that 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffer from depression, according to the National Mental Health Survey 2015-16.

Lack of awareness also leaves many children vulnerable to mental disorders. They, however, show significant symptoms before the manifestation of a mental disorder.

The onus is on primary caregivers like parents, family members and teachers to recognise the behavioral symptoms while there is still time to treat them, Andrade said.

He advised the principals to look out for changes in the behaviour of the students and their performance in school.

If a student, for instance, becomes irritable, abusive, anxious; if he mutters to himself too much, collects rubbish, ignores hygiene; or if a student who is usually talkative becomes silent, a closer examination of his overall health is necessary.

"What can the teachers do?" a principal asked, to which Andrade replied: "All a teacher can do is to document the changes and report it to the parents."

In many cases, students live a double life. They often conceal the torments of living in a disturbed home environment and try finding solace at school. The institutions have a duty to protect the child in such cases, he said.

"It is the small things that matter the most. Parents must be attentive. Simply asking children how their day was in school will do," Andrade concluded.

BoX

Mental health stats

* 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues

* One in 20 Indians suffer from depression

* Children display significant symptoms before the manifestation of a mental disorder