Haryana is planning to introduce a structured school-based mental health support system for students of Classes 6 to 12 under its proposed SATH-E project, aiming early identification of psychological difficulties, including examination stress, anxiety, depression, bullying, social isolation and excessive screen use.
According to additional chief secretary (ACS-health) Sumita Misra, the proposed initiative aims at coordinated mechanism involving the health and school education departments, teachers, parents, student volunteers, counsellors, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists.
The initiative will adopt separate approaches for students of Classes 6 to 8 and Classes 9 to 12, keeping in view their distinct developmental and psychological needs.
The ACS (health) said the health department has trained 122 counsellors to strengthen the implementation of the SAATH project across Haryana. These counsellors will coordinate with two designated teachers in each of the 200 government schools identified under the initiative, creating a network of approximately 400 trained teachers.
All designated teachers will receive structured training on mental health issues, early identification of psychological distress, supportive communication and appropriate referral mechanisms. This will create a strong school-based network for mental health awareness, screening and early intervention.
For students of Classes 6 to 8, the focus will be on emotional awareness, self-confidence, puberty-related changes, examination anxiety, bullying, peer rejection and communication difficulties with parents. Teachers will be sensitised to identify early warning signs.
{{/usCountry}}For students of Classes 6 to 8, the focus will be on emotional awareness, self-confidence, puberty-related changes, examination anxiety, bullying, peer rejection and communication difficulties with parents. Teachers will be sensitised to identify early warning signs.
{{/usCountry}}Misra said that programme will also address concerns arising from excessive gaming, social media dependency, inappropriate online content, sleep deprivation and prolonged screen exposure.
For students of Classes 9 to 12, the programme will place particular emphasis on board examination pressure, competitive entrance examinations, career uncertainty, fear of failure, peer pressure and emotional exhaustion. Awareness will also be created about anxiety, depression-related symptoms, body-image concerns, unhealthy eating patterns, relationship difficulties and substance-use risks.
The proposed framework envisages a five-stage support and referral mechanism, beginning at the classroom level and extending to specialist psychiatric care wherever required. At the first stage, class teachers will observe behavioural or emotional changes, interact supportively with students and record relevant school-level interventions in a class-wise SATH-E assessment and counselling register.
Students requiring specialised psychological assessment will be referred to designated clinics, where clinical psychologists will assess their needs and provide appropriate interventions. At the fifth stage, students requiring psychiatric evaluation or treatment will be referred to mental health clinics for assessment by psychiatrists, followed by treatment and clinical follow-up as advised.