The Kids Aren바카라�t Alright

The exultation over Kerala바카라�s strong performance in the CBSE examinations has been tempered by the revelation that 66 school-age children have committed suicide since the lockdown (March 25). On July 9, CM Pinarayi Vijayan released the startling statistics compiled by the State Crime Records Bureau. While not explicitly attributing the deaths바카라�mostly in the 12-18 age bracket바카라�to the lockdown, he suggested that it might have exacerbated underlying problems such as household discord, parental pressure and substance abuse. He has instituted a fact-finding committee.

Over the following week, initiatives to address the mental wellbeing of children have been rolled out. 바카라�Chiri바카라� (Smile), the CM바카라�s tele-counselling initiative, however, has divided experts. The women and child development department has also launched a phone-counselling programme and roped in anganwadi and ASHA workers. The Kerala police have brought out many awareness and intervention campaigns as well.

In June, Devika B., 15, a Dalit student in Malappuram바카라�which registered the highest number of deaths바카라�died by suicide after not being able to attend online classes. This sparked debates on socio-economic exclusion and disparities in access to learning. Her death was the impetus for the State Mental Health Programme to extend its psychosocial-support project for quarantined COVID-19 patients and frontline healthcare workers, 바카라�Ottakkalla, Oppam Undu바카라� (You are not alone, we are with you), to children. The outreach effort has resulted in school counsellors making over a lakh phone calls to students. According to the government, 180 cases (as of July 18) have been reported for intervention. Some 14,518 children have received counselling.

바카라�The multi-level initiative has been going on since June 25 to provide mental support for Grade 10 and 12 students before the announcement of the SSLC exam results,바카라� says Dr. P.S. Kiran, state nodal officer for mental health. 바카라�This has been widened to cover all school-going students now.바카라� He added that studies on the impact of the lockdown바카라�s isolating effects on child mental wellbeing were underway. The dashboard has recorded nearly 8,000 cases of stress and anxiety and 450 reports of behavioural issues. There are 42 recorded cases of depression and 71 incidences of substance abuse. Over 3,000 cases have been attributed to 바카라�other issues바카라�, including social media use.

But such top-down approaches can only go so far, says Surya L., a school teacher in Ernakulam who has seen children break down in tears during classes. 바카라�Cut off from friends and stress-relief avenues like sports, children are in a vulnerable frame of mind. The onus is on parents and teachers to make an extra effort,바카라� she says. 

By Siddharth Premkumar in Trivandrum