New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday sought the response of the city government on a plea for constituting mental health establishments, including clinics and centres in each district, schools, and colleges.
A bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) on the plea by a 17-year-old student seeking directions to implement the Mental Health Act, 2017, in educational institutions. The petition said that children and adolescents are vulnerable to mental disorders and pointed out that the healthcare system does not prioritise mental health.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Sonia Singh argued that stress, fear, depression, insomnia, disconnectedness and lack of self-confidence are widely prevalent among students.
“There is no comprehensive assessment, evaluation, and diagnostics/protocols/standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding mental health of students in contrast with physical health where assessment and follow up is done at periodic intervals,” the petition read.
The plea also said that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge psychological impact on students, resulting in “acute and chronic stress because of parental anxiety, disruption of daily routines, increased family violence, and home confinement with little or no access to peers, teachers, or physical activity”.
{{/usCountry}}The plea also said that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge psychological impact on students, resulting in “acute and chronic stress because of parental anxiety, disruption of daily routines, increased family violence, and home confinement with little or no access to peers, teachers, or physical activity”.
{{/usCountry}}It has sought mandatory presence of clinical psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers and mental health professionals in each school and college of the district to assess the mental health of students.
It is also sought a direction to the authorities to implement the National Mental Health programme for the benefit of students and to conduct a mental health survey regularly.
The matter will be heard on September 16.