Kolkata: Suggestions have been made by a section of teachers for conducting workshop training for mentors to help them provide primary help to the students in need of counselling to pro-Vice Chancellor Amitava Datta.
Since the last two years, mentors were being allotted to the students but these mentors mostly dealt with academic progression. However, considering the present situation, the mentors may have to contribute more and support the students in need of mental health attention, a source said.
Mental health has become a focal point of discussion among the students and professors of Jadavpur University after a first-year student of the varsity succumbed to the injuries from falling down the second floor balcony of the boys’ hostel. The interim report submitted by the Internal Inquiry Committee suggested that the deceased student was a victim of ragging and mentally stressed.
A teacher at the University said that they can deal with academic problems encountered by students but are not trained to guide or direct the students towards appropriate help in case of unacademic problems or mental health issues. “Teachers should be trained ahead of the session to be able to help their students a little better,” Partha Pratim Ray, General Secretary of Jadavpur Union Teachers’ Association (JUTA) said.
A psychologist with the national tele-mental health programme in the state Debmalya Mukherjee said that training should be given to the mentors, teachers and students. “They need to be trained on how to deal with the situation. The primary focus needs to be on active listening with empathy. Frequent counselling sessions are also a must. There should be more awareness about mental health,” he said while adding that it is important that the matter brought in by the students should not be trivialised.
Apart from this, suggestions were also given to strengthen the Counselling Cell as well as conduct an in-depth orientation programme for the freshers. Earlier, the orientation used to involve dispense of basic information including anti-ragging rules and other essential details to help the freshers. But now, teachers have suggested in-depth counselling.
The varsity already has the centre for Counselling Services and Studies in Self-Development. The centre has one clinical psychologist and one psychiatrist, while the position of psychological counsellor remains vacant. The University’s website states: “It (the Centre) is closely associated with reputed mental health professionals and mental health organisations all over India which greatly helps in improving the kind of research undertaken by the Centre. There is a huge demand for the service provided and the courses run by the Centre.”