Tamil Nadu: New Mental Health Policy Released to Prevent Suicidal Thoughts Among Students

Tamil Nadu: The State Government has issued a new policy aimed at safeguarding the mental health of students in Tamil Nadu’s educational institutions and preventing incidents of suicide.

This government order has been issued based on the recommendations of a high-level committee constituted pursuant to a directive from the Supreme Court. To address the psychological issues faced by students, the government had established a special committee chaired by Dr. Vineet, Director of the Tamil Nadu Health Project. This committee comprised officials from the Departments of School and Higher Education, Law, and Home, as well as mental health experts.

Based on the report submitted by this committee last month, the government has released a mental health policy that includes a set of guidelines.

This policy aims to assist in identifying stress among students and providing them with the necessary psychological support. It states the following:

Mental health counselors and counseling centers in schools and colleges should foster a sense of individual identity among students and initiate ‘peer-to-peer’ support activities.

Awareness must be generated through youth forums. Students requiring mental health counseling should be encouraged to reach out to the helpline numbers 14416, 14417, 104, 1098, and 181.

Students grappling with severe mental health issues should be referred to nearby government or private hospitals for treatment. The policy further emphasizes that the participation of all stakeholders—including teachers, parents, counselors, and fellow students—is mandatory in efforts to prevent suicide.