ICMR, Nimhans launch campus-based mental health support in Karnataka

Bengaluru: With student mental health emerging as a critical concern, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with Nimhans, has launched a project to establish campus-based mental health support systems in Karnataka.

This initiative is part of ICMR's multistate National Health Research Priority project, aimed at developing scalable and sustainable models to address student mental health challenges.

Targeting students in the 9th and 10th grades, pre-university, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes across eight states, the project seeks to reduce suicide risks and foster emotional resilience.

The Department of Clinical Psychology at Nimhans, which is implementing the project in Karnataka, organised a half-day consultative meeting on Tuesday at the Nimhans Convention Centre.

The meeting brought together heads of educational institutions from schools, colleges, and universities, alongside mental health professionals and policymakers, to discuss key strategies on leadership engagement, youth participation, and preventive interventions.

A key aspect of the project is training 30% of faculty members through gatekeeper workshops, equipping them to identify and respond to student distress.

However, concerns were raised regarding time and resource constraints, with stakeholders suggesting an alternative approach — integrating mental health discussions into regular class schedules, dedicating the first 10 minutes of each session to well-being awareness.

The initiative also aims to train students as mental health ambassadors, enabling them to lead awareness campaigns on campus. Additional interventions include meditation sessions (extended to parents), peer support forums, and confidential self-help platforms like TeleMANAS.

Stakeholders emphasised the need for a standard operating procedure (SOP) for mental health support across institutions, along with confidential mental health assessments during admissions to facilitate early intervention.

A multidisciplinary team from Nimhans and IIIT-Bangalore will refine training materials and self-help resources as the project progresses.

Outside the conference room, stalls showcased the project’s initiatives, including mobile applications focused on mental health support.

Among them, "Mind Notes", developed by Nimhans, enables students to seek professional mental health support, with queries addressed by verified professionals within 48 hours.