'Equip students to deal with stress'

Varsity life can be daunting for youths with crushing study workloads and gnawing career anxieties, particularly in a State like Assam saddled with chronic joblessness. Relationship problems can add further to their emotional woes, making it a particularly dicey phase.

"A psychological counseling centre is very much important at university level as students remain depressed over job prospects and relationship issues. There is a career and guidance cell at GU, but that alone cannot help students deal with stress. Nor have they involved anyone from Psychology department. Students are mostly lacking in awareness about mental health. This besides, stigma is attached to such problems and seeking of professional help," said Professor Indranee Phookan Barooah of Psychology Department, GU.

"We have proposed setting up a psychological counseling centre to hold family counseling programmes, on the basis of a government notification in 2016, but no response has been forthcoming from GU administration so far," she added.
A mental health awareness programme was organised by Ujjeevit Foundation, a Guwahati-based organisation for overall development of children and youth, in association with GU Study Circle at the varsity on April 1.

"Students labouring under mental stress can come to know scientifically about it by attending such programmes. Mental health awareness programme is helpful to identify depression among students through various symptoms in their behaviour, which can then be overcome through counseling," Professor Barooah said.

Rahul Dutta, founder of Ujjeevit Foundation, said, "This mental health awareness programme is part of our 6-months-long campaign 'Khul Ke Bolo' in which we have targeted to reach 1,000 youths of schools, colleges and universities in the city. Our objective is to lay a platform for them to speak about the stresses troubling them and learn from the success stories of those who fought and overcame their depression."

"There are many GU students who have waited long for this kind of awareness programme to be organised in the campus. This programme will be helpful to all, irrespective of gender in the campus, though some may use this platform to highlight current issues, like the lot of girl students," said Aparajita Mahanta, president of GU Study Circle.

By Raja Das