2 counsellors to manage students’ mental health in every state-run medical college

Maharashtra will appoint two counsellors per state-run medical college to support students' mental health. The initiative follows concerns over stress and rising student suicides.

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to appoint two counsellors at each state-run medical college on a contractual basis to support students suffering from depression and other mental health issues. This initiative has been well-received by students, who feel that institutional support is necessary.

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During a townhall interaction between students and the vice-chancellor of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) in January, concerns were raised about the mental stress experienced in colleges, which has led to student suicides and increased failure rates. Following this meeting, the Commissioner of Medical Education submitted a proposal, which was subsequently approved by the Medical Education Department.

According to the Government Resolution (GR) under the ‘Chhatramanas’ scheme, colleges are required to establish a ‘Chhatramanas Cell’ to address and manage students’ mental health issues. The GR also noted that depression, anxiety, and behavioural disorders are on the rise among students, and emphasised that timely diagnosis and treatment through this cell would assist students in coping with these challenges.

The GR mandates a three-member committee, consisting of a psychology professor, an associate professor of psychology and a superintendent, to regularly review the mechanisms developed to address these issues. The committee will oversee the challenges within each institute, develop annual programmes, including a dedicated helpline, expert guidance, lectures, and dialogue sessions between students and teachers and submit a semi-annual report on the cell’s activities.

The GR specifies that counsellors must possess a Master’s degree in social work or psychology or a diploma in counselling. These contractual counsellors will receive a monthly remuneration of ₹30,000.

Dr Pratik Debaje, president of the Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), said, “We welcome this step, but we would be even more pleased if the government also took initiatives to enhance students’ socialisation through increased extracurricular activities in colleges.” Debaje noted that post-Covid, many students were spending a lot of time in their hostel rooms on mobile devices instead of interacting with their peers. He added that the government first and foremost needed to work on reducing the stress placed on students.”

In the townhall meeting, students had highlighted various stress-related issues, including a shortage of guides, the impact of guide transfers on the timely submission of PG theses, a shortage of resident doctors and challenges in achieving a work-life balance.