NCERT issues guidelines to identify mental health problems in students

Setting up of a mental health advisory panel, school based mental health programme and pedagogical support to ensure mental well- being of students and engaging parents are among the guidelines issued by NCERT for schools.

The guidelines for "Early identification and intervention for mental health problems in school going children and adolescents" have been released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) following a mental health survey among school children.

The survey report launched last week cited exams, results and peer pressure among major factors for stress and anxiety among school students.

"Schools generally are seen as spaces where communities of learners have been expected to develop in a safe and secure environment. School management, principal, teachers, other staff, and students all spend around 1/3 of a day and around 220 days in a year in schools across the states and UTs in India. For residential schools, the time spent by a student in