Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat launches initiative to tackle depression among children

The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has come out with an innovative programme, ‘Manosthairya’, following the increase in cases of suicide and depression among the students.
Under the programme, concerned teachers from schools will be trained by expert psychologists and psychiatrists to deal with the issues pertaining to schoolchildren.

The initiative will be taken jointly by the Dakshia Kannada ZP, Department of School Education and Literacy and Health Department.

A training session is scheduled for all selected teachers at the Zilla Panchayat on December 20. In total, 196 government school teachers will undergo training on Wednesday.

Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr Kumara, in a circular, said, “The problem of student suicide or students' depression has become a serious issue in the recent days. We need to intervene at the right time and at the right age.”

He said students develop confusion over the happenings in their life and also in their day-to-day life and are unable to cope with the situations.

Unable to find any alternative solution to the problem, many get into depression and look to end their life, he added.

‘’The teachers, who undergo training, will be able to identify the problems in a child and find some remedial measures through counselling. Remedial measures are the need of the hour and counselling can definitely help the students to come out of this kind of depression,’’ he said.

‘’The teachers, in turn, will create a counselling centre in the school and every week, they will take one class on stability of mind and mental health. Further, they will also create awareness among parents on the mental health of the children,’’ he said.