Strengthen school-based mental health services, special educators and early-detection awareness programmes for depression and learning disorders¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Based on 26 years of service data showing rising registrations for affective disorders and disorders of psychological development, the authors recommend that "Indian clinics may need to strengthen services for disorders like depression, specific learning disorders and hyperkinetic disorders". They call for more special educators and child psychologists, stronger school counseling, awareness and sensitization programmes for early detection, and preventive work strengthening school mental health programmes, reducing school and home stress, and building children's life skills to cope with day-to-day stress.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Increased numbers of special educators, child psychologists and strengthened counseling services in schools

Constraints¶

• Recommendations are grounded in tertiary-care clinic service data, which the authors note does not provide a veridical reflection of the community situation

Target Learners¶

• Children and adolescents aged up to 15 years in India, especially those with depression, specific learning disorders and hyperkinetic disorders

Target Learning Goals¶

• Early detection and intervention for child and adolescent mental health problems affecting academic achievement
• Life skills for coping with day-to-day stress

Related Strategies¶

• Strengthen vocational mental health education through literacy, ecosystem, teacher development, and crisis networks
• Provide universal well-baby screening and home-visit services regardless of income, following Victoria, Australia's model

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Malhotra S, Biswas P, Sharan P, Grover S. (2007). Characteristics of Patients Visiting the Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic: A 26-year Study from North India. J. Indian Assoc. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health 3(3). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ896858