A couple of decades back, depression in children was something no school ever thought of paying attention to. It was because we presumed that children, particularly those in their early teens, do not go through any crisis. It’s a terrible misjudgement which can lead to damaging repercussions later in life.

Depression is a fact of life, but to think that children do not get afflicted by it is a mindset which has its roots in how we grew up in 1960s and 1970s. In those days mental health was not considered pertinent in schools and college education. In fact discussing about it was a taboo and there was a stigma attached to it.

Mental health programmes need not have to deal with only negative issues. Doing that would restrict its scope. Some students need to conquer fear, some need the inspiration to succeed, some need a helping hand through a relationship.

The range of issues that a mental health can cover is endless. What is important is these must be addressed through early intervention. This requires mental health programmes to be a part of the curriculum, at least on a weekly basis, to start with.