Mental health awareness programme for high-school students implemented in Tikapur

KATHMANDU: The Tikapur Municipality in Kailali has launched a mental health awareness programme targeting schools and communities.

The programme aims to support students in coping with possible mental stress during adolescence.

Municipality’s Health Section Chief Bal Bahadur Rawal said so far such programmes have been already organised in 20 schools and 10 communities. The target groups include students from class 8 to 10.

“We have implemented this programme as a campaign, which is expected to encourage students to open up about the issues they are facing in and seek counselling and other care,” he said.

Mental health issues are attributed one of the causes for increasing suicide rates. Mental health problems among students have been widely discussed.

“Upon realising such situation, we have launched the campaign which focuses on understanding the psychological and emotional changes in students, mental stress due to study, scarcity, family and social environment,” he added.

During the programme, some participants comfortably opened up, and regular contact has been established with them for necessary counselling, it is said.

He further added that students have demanded increased investment in their mental wellbeing to their educational development.

“In some cases, we can’t open up to our guardians and teachers. In such situations, we need someone to listen, respond, and guide us mentally,” said Sandhya Chaudhary. According to her, students often face stress while trying to meet their guardians’ or parents’ expectation in their academic careers. She added that initiative by the local government is beneficial for children like her.

Similarly, in collaboration with the government, CMC Nepal, and the local government, psycho-social counselling services for transitional justice have begun in the locality from this fiscal year. The target groups include survivors of the armed conflict and those affected by it.